Sticks and Stones
by redninjalass19
Summary: They thought he was a cold-blooded killer. He thought they were lazy and weak. However, this wasn't going to stop Kakashi from completing his mission. How hard could guarding this Potter person be? And why were wizards so nosy?
1. Mission

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Harry Potter; they belong to** **Masashi Kishimoto and J K Rowling respectively.**

 **I am making no profit from this story, it is only for entertainment.**

 **This is my first fanfic and I would like to dedicate it to Lorraine-chan, without whom I would never have been able to do this.**

 **I hope you enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 1: **The Mission**

A light tapping sound resonated in the mostly empty room. The previous sounds of cloth against metal ceased as the sole occupant look up at the window, seeking the source of the intrusion.

The presence of the messenger hawk in the window alerted the young ANBU within that his leader had another mission for him. He silently gathered up his now clean weapons and hid them again within his uniform.

With the exception of his tanto and kunai pouch, he ensured all were hidden from view.

He grabbed his mask and cloak from beside his futon as the hawk continued to tap the window. He turned his sole grey eye to the bird as he started towards the window. He opened it and the hawk gazed at him with sharp golden eyes, the action confirming the completion of its mission. It took off towards the Hokage tower as the ninja stared after it.

The dull grey eye turned to scan the room.

Minimal furniture occupied the room. Near the centre of the room there was a single narrow futon laid out, and against the opposite wall there was a small table with a single chair.

A single photo of his old team sat on this table.

Three books were piled up by the framed photo, each detailing various aspects of assassination missions. A short bookcase sat beside the chair, each novel sorted alphabetically. There was a small wardrobe containing the rest of his uniforms and his spare masks. His additional weapons were contained in a small chest beside it.

The grey walls were bare and the room felt hollow. Crimson marks, reminders of his last mission, still tainted the floor. He knew he should get rid of them, but couldn't find it within him to care.

He opened the window fully after securing his mask and cloak and slipped his lean frame through, closing it quietly behind him. The Village Hidden in the Leaves was starting to wake up as the night started to recede. Kakashi set off towards the tower travelling the rooftops, ignoring all those below.

* * *

Sarutobi sighed as he stared at the mission request on his desk.

He had spent the last hour debating over the decision to accept it but he knew that he had been putting off the inevitable. With the economy of Konoha still weak after the destruction of the Kyuubi the previous year, they needed all the missions that they had the capacity to accept. However, they also had fewer ninja to carry out these missions and to lose such an asset for an entire year... was it worth the payment offered?

In the end, it had been decided that he could not refuse such an offer but there were other reasons for accepting. He looked at the papers beside the mission request and a lone grey eye stared back.

Hatake Kakashi, an excellent shinobi with the best mission completions record in Konoha and a valued member of the ANBU Black Ops. Unfortunately, if the reports from his fellow ANBU indicated anything, he was also the most mentally unstable.

How he had not died in any of the A or S ranked missions he had been accepting over the past year Sarutobi would probably never know; but the mission in front of him seemed like the perfect opportunity to break the suicide streak.

The request was from an old friend he had met many years ago, not long after the Second Shinobi War had ended, and the mission itself was a simple bodyguard mission. The part that had been the cause of Sarutobi's indecision was the duration of the mission. To lose such a highly skilled shinobi for a whole year at a time such as this... but the income produced from the mission was too much to ignore.

He read over the letter again.

 _Dear Hiruzen Sarutobi,_

 _It has been a while, old friend, and I hope you are well._

 _I wish I could have contacted you at a better time but I am in need of your services. I would like to hire one of your best ninja for a bodyguard mission. This mission shall be financed by the Order of the Phoenix, an organisation set up by myself that opposes Voldemort, a dark wizard that is quickly gaining power once again in our society._

 _The person in question is Harry Potter, a now fifth year student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry._

 _Last year, Voldemort attacked Harry and killed a fellow student. Now that he is back I have a horrible feeling that Harry is going to be in danger this year and have decided to take precautions._

 _I do not want it known by the rest of the students that Harry is under protection so please send one that could pass as a student; however, Harry himself shall be informed._

 _The duration of the mission would be the school year so it would be 10 months from the start of August until June the next year._

 _The ninja sent will be equipped the same as any other student, with the Order of the Phoenix financing anything required, and the ninja himself can bring whatever supplies he needs from Konoha himself._

 _Upon acceptance of this mission, please find the enclosed sock from within the envelope. This is a portkey, the mechanisms of which I had explained to you long ago. Also enclosed is a necklace that has a translation charm woven into it._

 _At 2202 on July 30_ _th_ _, please instruct the shinobi to take a hold of the sock and he shall be transported to the meeting place where one of the Order will pick him up. He will then be taken back to the Headquarters and introduced to Harry and the rest of the Order._

 _Thank you and I hope you will be able to assist us._

 _Albus Wulfric Percival Brian Dumbledore_

 _Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

Sarutobi looked at the dirty old sock sitting on top of the envelope. He had been wondering why it was there.

He took the cheque for the mission out from under the request and stared at it. It was enough for 2 S ranked missions. There was no way Konoha could refuse in its current condition.

So why had he taken so long to consider?

He knew exactly why.

Kakashi was the perfect shinobi for the job in more ways than his success as a ninja. However, forcing him away into a foreign culture, surrounded by possibly hostile strangers could be detrimental to his mental health, or what was left of it.

But as the leader of a powerful shinobi village he knew his duty. He looked up as a slight breeze from the window indicated someone entering the office. Knelt in front of him was the very shinobi that he had been thinking of.

"Inu, please rise and remove your mask" he asked, watching the fluid movements of the assassin before him.

Kakashi took off the dog mask off his face and a single grey eye looked at the Hokage, betraying nothing. His other eye was closed, sealing off the gift from his teammate and his customary face mask was in place.

Sarutobi sighed and simply said, "I have a mission for you".

Kakashi did not react, but merely waited for his leader to continue.

"I have received a request from an old colleague, and from the information given I have concluded that you would be the best choice" Sarutobi stated, scrutinising the ninja in front of him.

"Thank you, Hokage-sama" Kakashi replied in monotone, as if automated.

"It is a long-term bodyguard mission in a foreign country and will be considered an S ranked mission" continued Sarutobi.

"Your mark is a student named Harry Potter, who has recently come under threat from his enemies, of whom had been thought of as dead.

You are to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as an exchange student and allow no one to discover your true mission. You will be supplied with the necessary equipment upon arrival at the meeting place with the client though you are to take your own mission supplies. The codeword the contact will use is Kanabi. Pack for a 10 month mission and report back here in 15 hours in full gear".

"You are not in ANBU uniform for this mission. You will represent Konoha as a jounin as identities of ANBU are classified"

Sarutobi continued to watch Kakashi, noting the way he digested the information given to him. He wondered if he would ask about the title of the school, if he would demand an explanation at the mention of wizards.

Kakashi merely nodded his head, confirming he had retained the report. Sarutobi again sighed, wishing that the operative would show some sign of being human instead of a drone he was acting as now. He handed Kakashi a paper copy of the mission brief and the necklace that Dumbledore had sent.

"The necklace is for translation purposes since they speak a different language to ourselves. If you tap it on any paper or book you are reading, it will transcribe it into kanji for you".

"Sort out your affairs and be back for the stated time. Dismissed" Sarutobi concluded, again feeling a slight breeze, but this time from a Shuishin.

Normally, when sending one of his shinobi out on such a long-term mission he would add to the dismissal the words 'say your goodbyes'.

However, he knew that Kakashi had no one left.

* * *

The air in the meeting room at Grimmauld Place was tense after Moody's announcement.

Each of the wizards at the table looked uneasy, glancing at their neighbours with confused expressions.

Lupin decided to break the silence.

"Why would Dumbledore hire a bodyguard? And what is a shinobi?" he questioned, the rest of the room turning their heads for Moody's reply.

Moody looked down at the letter from Dumbledore. It explained the bare minimum that the members of the Order were required to know but that was it.

He read it over again.

 _Order,_

 _I have hired a shinobi for the school year to protect Harry due to the events of the previous year._

 _He will be undercover as a student and though his primary objective is the bodyguard mission of Harry, he will be keeping an eye on the rest of Hogwarts also._

 _Moody, please meet the shinobi at the abandoned park on the next street over at 2203 and ensure that you are not seen by any muggles. His name is Hatake and the codeword is Kanabi._

 _Please treat this man with extreme caution._

 _He is a trained warrior and is to be treated with respect._

 _AD_

"I am surprised that Albus would hire such a man but after the return of 'You-Know-Who' it makes sense" he answered Lupin, pocketing the letter.

"Do you know who he is Moody?" Arthur piped up, noting that Moody seemed to be familiar with the term.

Moody looked at the faces around the table, watching as they waited for his answer.

They were not going to like this.

"A shinobi is their word for ninja, which is what they are. They are paid for missions such as bodyguard work, but they are also soldiers of war, spies, messengers and assassins. I have no doubt that they do other types of missions but I couldn't list them all" Moody revealed.

"I met one when I was chasing after a death eater a while back.

They were on a different mission to infiltrate some wealthy family's household and assassinate their son. The only reason I know their mission is because the death eater was the target's brother. Shinobi are ruthless and will resort to anything to complete their mission. Dumbledore meant it when he said to treat this man with caution and I will say it as well.

They are not to be taken lightly"

More silence followed this revelation. However, it was broken much quicker this time in the form of Molly.

"So we are just going to let a trained killer protect our kids? This is outrageous! And Dumbledore said that this shinobi person is going undercover as a student, how does he expect to do that? It is all very well knowing how to disguise yourself but passing off as a student? What on earth is he thinking?"

Molly fumed in her seat, Arthur trying to calm her down. None looked to disagree with this statement however and Sirius stood up and looked Moody directly in his human eye.

"Is it safe?" was all he said.

Moody looked straight back at him has he digested the hidden meaning behind the question. Would the shinobi hurt anyone outside of the mission parameters and was there a possibility of him hurting the kids?

"Shinobi are professionals. They will not deviate from their mission and they will not go on random killing sprees. Harry and his friends will probably be the safest in the damn school if they have a shinobi watching over them" he answered, turning to look at Molly.

Kingsley looked at the clock and spoke for the first time in the meeting.

"It is time for this man to arrive. You should go meet him and we can string together our judgments when the man is here to defend himself".

Moody nodded and headed out the door. Life was about to get interesting.

* * *

On the next level of the ancient house, the students were reeling from what had been discussed.

Hermione looked over at Harry, trying to see what he was thinking. She could see his fists clenched as he stared at the ground. Ron also looked Harry, his mother's word resounding in his head.

"So Dumbledore has hired a murderer to spy on me" were the only words out of his mouth.

"I think he is more of a mercenary than anything by the sound of it. He is being paid to protect you so by the way Moody says it, he should be fine with us" Hermione pointed out, trying to see the sense in Dumbledore's actions.

"But still, 'Mione, hiring a killer to deal with another killer? Doesn't sound like the best plan that the Professor has come up with" Ron argued.

He definitely could not see the perks of having a man who could kill on demand watching over them.

Harry turned to his two friends and sighed. It looked like this year was going to be even harder than the last, if that was even possible. And with this so-called 'shinobi' in the mix, it seemed danger was literally going to be around every corner.

"Well I think we should listen to Kingsley. There is no use judging someone when there is no evidence to support the theory" Hermione rationalized, nodding her head to convince herself.

"So all we have until he arrives is that he is paid to kill people and is apparently good at it. But of course, his wonderful personality could make that all okay" Harry replied, giving Hermione a look that said how much he believed in what he had said.

Hermione glared at him as she stood up.

"Come on, let's go tell the others".

Harry and Ron got up and followed Hermione into the twins' room, their mind in turmoil about the impending arrival.

* * *

Moody had arrived at the park he was to meet with the shinobi. He had to admit it was a good spot. The place was falling to pieces and looked like it hadn't been used in decades. Weeds were popping up everywhere and the rusted metal blended into the night.

There was one dim streetlamp on one side of the park, and if it wasn't for his artificial eye, he wouldn't be able to see much at all.

The breeze picked up and there was the telltale sign of an incoming portkey. He looked up as a black blur hit the ground. He could see the crouched silhouette of a man, alert and searching for potential danger, with a strangely shaped object in his hand.

Moody stepped forward a small pace and immediately stopped as one grey eye turned to him sharply, assessing him as a possible threat.

"Kanabi" was the only word that Moody spoke, aware of the damage that this shinobi could inflict.

The man hesitated before nodding once and standing to his full height, the object in his hand seeming to vanish.

With his electric blue eye, Moody scanned the man and was surprised at what he found.

The shinobi was quite short, barely even taller than Harry, and from what he could glimpse of his face he seemed young; far too young to have already condemned himself to this path.

He wore what looked to be a headband around his forehead, which covered his left eye and only slightly tamed the spiky mess of silver hair on top of his head. It had a strange symbol which looked like a leaf on it. He wore a facemask that came to just below his eye and disappeared below his neckline. In fact, it looked like it connected with his shirt.

He wore a form-fitting black sleeveless vest with what looked to be grey body armour strapped to his chest. His upper right arm was bandaged, while the lower part of both arms had fingerless gloves which reached his elbows. Strapped on his forearm were more of the grey armour and the strange symbol appeared again on the metal plated knuckles of the gloves.

He wore slightly baggy black trousers were bandaged at the bottom. Oddly, he was wearing black sandals. For some reason, he also had bandages wrapped around his right thigh.

There was a short sword on his back and various pouches lining his belt. Moody had no doubt that there were many other weapons hidden around his person.

He was carrying a small duffle bag, which was surprisingly, black.

However, the oddest thing about the shinobi's outfit was the red scarf that was wrapped around his neck.

The rest of his uniform, Moody could understand.

The outfit was designed for stealth, protection and efficency. But even in the faded light, the red scarf stood out proudly, daring Moody to look at it.

The shinobi stepped forward and sketched a short bow.

"I am Hatake Kakashi and I am here representing the mission request made to Konoha by Dumbledore-sama" the boy said, the voice finally causing Moody to realize that he could only be as old as Harry himself.

Moody nodded at the boy and gruffly told him to follow as he turned to head back to Grimmauld Place.

They were really not going to like this.

* * *

 **That concludes the first chapter. I hope you can review please and tell me if you liked it and what I can improve.**

 **Dōmo arigatōgozaimashita**


	2. Perspective

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Harry Potter; they belong to Masashi Kishimoto and J K Rowling respectively.**

 **I am making no profit from this story, it is only for entertainment.**

 **Thank you to all those who reviewed, favorited and followed this story.**

 **I know I have a long way to go and the knowledge that people actually like what I write and want to read more is the most amazing thing ever.**

 **Thank you to** **actionliker** **who was the first, though it does not mean are the rest any less important or less appreciated.**

 **Also to** **TheOneYouNeverSaw** **, I really wanted to put across that though they are amazing there is a dark side, a human side, and it is this I want to mostly focus on.**

 **And** **Reader-anonymous-writer** **the scarf does play a significant role as it acts as a physical representation of some of the emotions that Kakashi goes through, and the history will be explained in later chapters. Thank you for the point of view also, what you wrote was a part of what I was going for but you putting it into text really helped and gave me some ideas for later.**

 **Again, thank you everyone and I hope this chapter does not disappoint you.**

* * *

Chapter 2: **Perspective**

Kakashi silently followed the gruff old man that appeared to be his contact, willing the nausea caused by the strange shunshin to subside.

It was only pure reflex that had prevented him from diving headfirst into the ground.

Sandaime-sama had warned him it was more volatile than the shunshin they were trained to use, but apparently it was the only way to travel such a large distance to where his mission was based in decent time.

He had called it a 'portkey'.

Kakashi understood that this culture would have strange names to what was familiar to him, but the concepts did not seem to differ.

'Porkey' worked much like a shunshin, but it was totally impractical.

'Magic' worked like chakra.

'Wizards' were the shinobi of this world.

'Hogwarts' sounded exactly like the academy.

He did not particularly care about the weird phrasing or the primitiveness of their travelling methods.

It was a bodyguard mission.

All he had to do was make sure the mark survived the year.

But he was an assassination specialist. He was more suited for ending lives rather than protecting them.

His team was proof of that.

However, it was not his place to question Sandaime-sama. He would accept missions given to him and he'd either complete them, or he would die.

He was not really bothered which one anymore.

He turned his gaze to the man escorting him, watching the lurching steps and listening to the constant beat of the rough, gnarled staff.

His overall appearance matched his staff and he almost had the air of a veteran; he did not seem like a man easily defeated. That leg was not lost on a whim.

And that eye.

It was the wrong colour and the abilities probably differed to what a genuine one could do, but it reminded him strongly of the Hyūga clan's Byakugan.

Even now he had the nagging feeling he was being watched; but he could only sense the man in front of him and he could not smell anything that could indicate danger.

As the wizard turned the corner and headed to a row of duplicate houses, Kakashi partially switched his concentration to analyzing their base, still keeping tabs on the strange cripple.

He had to concede that it was well hidden in plain sight.

It looked identical to its neighbours though it looked slightly more worn, it was sturdy. However, he wondered how they had survived this long with all the security breaches they were flaunting. One glimpse at the place was all it took to assess 6 different points of possible entry and 5 secure positions for optimum surveillance.

And this was apparently a 'secret' organisation. They weren't doing very much to keep it that way.

Though there was something 'off' about the house that he could not quite determine.

The old man stopped in front of the door of no. 12, beckoning the shinobi as he passed through the doorway.

Kakashi followed, though not blindly.

Unnoticed by the wizard, Kakashi thoroughly checked the doorway before stepping through.

Or at least, he thought it was overlooked as he could not sense the same presence dissecting his movements.

He noted the tail end of the old man's rumpled coat passing through another doorway about 2 metres into the narrow corridor.

He followed much slower, constantly alert for danger in this new environment. With all the gaping holes in their security, he would not take any chances.

These 'wizards' were careless and they would not last very long if they continued like this.

Kakashi turned into the same doorway his contact had entered. All the faces within turned to look at him, eyes piercing, trying to figure him out.

Kakashi gazed back, eyes blank and posture relaxed, giving nothing away.

* * *

Moody watched the young shinobi as he faced the rest of the Order.

He knew that shinobi were exceptionally trained and that they wouldn't send a rookie on this kind of mission, but even just the walk from the park to Grimmauld had unnerved him.

He had made no sound. Not one step.

The only reason he knew the shinobi was there was due to his eye and he had a feeling that the shinobi knew exactly what he was doing, and how to counter it.

He noted the boy taking in the room, but his cold, apathetic demeanor never wavered in the slightest.

Stepping forward, he decided to be the mediator between the two sides, something he would never have thought he was suited to. But he had the most experience in dealing with ninja, limited as it was and the others may not know how to handle him.

"This is Hatake, the shinobi mentioned in Albus's letter. Hatake, meet the Order of the Phoenix. Call me Moody and this is Arthur, Molly, Lupin, Tonks, Hestia, Kingsley and Sirius", Moody summed up, indicating to each member with a twitch of his staff.

The boy nodded once to them, but there was no respect or greeting in the movement.

"I am Hatake Kakashi and I am here representing the mission request made to Konoha by Dumbledore- _sama_ " he relied, in the exact tone of voice he had when he had said the same to Moody.

It was as if he were a drone, the voice dead and low, despite the youth Moody could discern within it. Though it appeared that he was the only one to pick up on his young tone.

"Could you perhaps expand on that? Maybe a bit more about yourself or how you plan to go about this mission?" Lupin spoke up, as politely as he could manage without possibly insulting the new arrival.

Hatake turned his sole grey eye to focus on Lupin.

It was empty.

Dead.

As if he had been subjected to a dementor's kiss.

But Moody knew that they did not have such creatures where the shinobi originated from.

"I am not required to divulge anything pertaining to the mission unless it is directly to the client" he replied in the same monotone.

It would not have surprised Moody to discover that he had several phrases he cycled on repeat, in the exact same way.

Lupin looked surprised at the response, glancing to Tonks on his right.

Sirius took over.

"What he meant was you could relax a little and we were curious about how you would be protecting my godson. We know a bit about your profession but overall we are in the dark"

Keen dark eyes looked to Hatake for a response, hoping he would answer to the more friendly tone of voice.

"I am not required to divulge anything pertaining to the mission unless it is directly to the client, and there is no requirement for you to be informed about any information regarding myself or my profession" was the only answer he got.

"We cannot simply just accept only your name and the bare bones of your mission" Hestia piped up, disliking the detached apathy that Hatake treated them with.

There was no answer.

"I was wondering, a minor thing, how do expect to pass as a boy from Hogwarts? The height will work but it is hard to judge your age with all that covering on your face" Kingsley asked, going for a more specific question to try and glean a straight answer.

"I am adequate for the mission" was the reply.

Moody could see the rising tension from within the Order as Hatake defied their attempts to gain more information.

In the corner of his good eye, he could see Molly descending further into anger with each rebounded question. She had already been against the idea of having a killer-for-hire near Harry and the others, but it seemed the cold, unresponsive front the shinobi was portraying was ingraining that opinion even further.

Moody merely waited for the inevitable outburst.

He concluded that he was a terrible mediator.

"How are we supposed to let a complete stranger, who refuses to tell us anything about himself, near our kids? You kill for a living! How do we know that 'You-Know-Who' had not offered you a higher price to kill Harry?" Molly cried, unable to contain herself any further.

Hatake at first stood silent, as if digesting the accusations that had been hurled at him.

Then he spoke.

"The parameters of the mission which include the protection of Potter- _san_ shall not be breached. Until the mission is completed, I cannot waver from this objective", in the same monotone he had used since he had first met Moody in the park.

Molly's fury grew at the detached reply and opened her mouth to again vent her frustrations upon the shinobi, but Lupin spoke up.

"After your mission is indeed completed, if someone paid the correct price, would you kill Harry?"

The blood drained from Molly's face as she slumped into her seat, processing the weight of Lupin's question. Though she had thought he was a liability due to his occupation, the reality that he could murder her practically-adopted son had not quite sunk in until this moment.

Hatake looked straight at Lupin, his eyes still cold and without conscience.

" _Hai_ ", he answered, sharply nodding his head once to ensure they understood.

Shock rippled around the room.

How could Dumbledore hire such a creature, which could turn on their charge the moment they were given the opportunity?

"Why?" blurted Tonks, not entirely meaning to let it slip.

"The mission must be completed", Hatake droned, looking away from Lupin.

"So someone points you at some random guy, tells you to kill them and you do? Just like that? You don't even question it you just slaughter them for the money?" Tonks shot back, unwilling to comprehend such a mentality.

" _Hai_ , if that is the mission" he simply said.

Molly had managed to regain her voice and it rose with every word.

"You murder people; you would kill a child, all for the sake of having a bit more cash? You are absolutely insane! You're a MONSTER!"

Hatake merely glanced at the red-faced ginger and remained silent.

"But you say that no harm will come to Harry as long as the mission is ongoing?" Hestia asked, still unsure of how to completely process him.

"What? You think murderers suddenly have a code?" Molly sneered, sitting down as she continues to glare at the shinobi.

Moody spoke up for the first time since the start of the disastrous meeting.

"Can your methods of doing things cover for your lack of magic?" he questioned, needing to confirm the only thing he had doubts about.

" _Hai_ , my _chakra_ should be adequate for mimicking your _jutsu_ ", he confirmed, cementing Moody's belief about his ability to blend in with the students.

"Wait!" Arthur exclaimed, bolting from his seat.

"He's a Muggle? The man guarding Harry from the most powerful dark wizard of our time is a Muggle?" he roared, the disbelief showing in other faces around the room.

Hatake glanced from Arthur to Moody, though still expressionless, Moody could imagine the question burning from within.

"A Muggle is someone without magic. Even though you can use this ' _chakra_ ' as you call it you are still classified as a Muggle since you can't use a wand. We will need to get you a fake one though use your ' _chakra_ ' to get the effect of the actual spells.

The necklace that Albus gave you, that will also help you to blend in. It doesn't only work as translation but you won't be as affected by magic as Muggles normally would, so you can see what true wizards can. That's why you could see the house."

An afterthought crossed his mind.

"What is a ' _jutsu_ '? Moody asked, unfamiliar with the term.

Hatake continued to look at him, giving nothing away.

" _Jutsu_ is like your spells and _chakra_ is like your magic" he replied, this being the most unique information they had extracted from so far.

The Order, as a collective, blinked.

Though they were not probably not exactly the same, it was a simple but understandable comparison.

Though that statement had soothed the room somewhat, the Order, with the exception of Moody, were still against the idea of the detached killer being responsible for Harry's safety.

Moody decided to play the gamble that could settle the whole issue, no matter how reluctantly.

"He is going to be watched 24/7 at Hogwarts and I seriously doubt Albus would hire a man that would put Harry at any serious risk. Do you doubt his judgment that much?"

He could see the guilty faces for each of the members.

He had them.

Albus had helped each and every one of them at some point or another, including himself. He had trusted them all with the burden of being a part of the Order of the Phoenix; the least they could do was return it.

Though it did not mean they would be any less vigilant.

He saw Sirius stand and face the shinobi, who had not even twitched since he had last spoken.

"We shall allow you to carry out your mission. However, should any harm come to Harry I doubt your killer instincts can save you from us"

Hatake stared at him.

"You are unable to interfere with the mission and it shall be completed. I do not need your permission"

Sirius glared at the shinobi, hating the complete disregard for their combat abilities.

Moody, however, was extremely surprised.

He wasn't a complete rock. Something had shown through the solid exterior. A hint of annoyance had flashed within the sole grey eye, however brief it had been.

Sirius called to the trio, knowing full well that they could hear him.

"Harry, Hermione, Ron, get down here!"

The loud thundering of multiple pairs of feet was heard descending from the old staircase.

The Golden Trio slammed into the room, eyes immediately locking onto to dark figure standing a little off to the side, which merely looked at them blankly.

That was the first round over with, Moody thought.

The second was going to be even worse, judging by the horrified looks on the teenagers' faces.

* * *

These 'wizards' were absolutely ridiculous.

Demanding answers as if they were entitled to them. As if they had the right.

And they did not even have the decency to attempt it subtly. No, they just came out and asked. Like they actually thought that was an appropriate way to gather intelligence.

They would make horrendous shinobi.

The only one who may survive in this so-called 'war' they were 'fighting' was the fake-Byakugan user, Moody. He at least had seen something resembling battle. And the other man, Sirius.

He was not as worn as Moody but he had not had it easy either.

Well, compared to the rest of these 'wizards'. They were hopeless, especially that orange-haired woman.

He had never met anyone who was so opposed to death before.

The idea of him taking the life of another seemed to actually repulse her. Did she not understand duty, or protecting your team, your family?

Death was natural.

He just sped things up a little.

Had they not figured out that they were going to have to kill in order to win? Did they think if they beat these 'dark' wizards they were just going to march happily to jail and never try the same thing again?

These thoughts never reached his face.

They never did anymore.

The only tiny crack of his stone wall was the flash of annoyance even he could not hide. It was barely there, but Moody had noticed due to the fake-Byakugan.

That thing was going to become a problem.

Was this how his enemies felt when he had used the Sharingan?

But he had kept his slip-up from the others, who were extremely unobservant for people treating him like an enemy. They had actually thought they could prevent him from completing this mission.

Actually thought he needed their 'permission'.

The pure arrogance in that statement, especially from people who fought with twigs, had angered him. He had not felt anger since before Sensei had died.

That was almost a year ago now.

He did not like it.

He had always been good at controlling his emotions since even before the White Fang had died. It was only around his team, around Sensei, Obito and Rin, that he could not.

That he didn't.

But they were gone and he had not slipped since during his time in ANBU.

These 'wizards' had caused it, by a simple statement.

Many had tried their luck at claiming his rising bounty and he had heard much worse even from his temporary teams he was forced into during S-ranked missions.

Nobody had ever doubted him though.

Not even his enemies.

Obito had challenged him with his _oroka_ competitions.

Rin had scolded him when forgot that they were only human.

Sensei had beaten him into the ground to make him confront his weaknesses.

They had seemed to doubt him because they had cared, because he was his best friend, because she always helped him, because he was family.

What right did these people have to judge and doubt him?

Only his team could do that. And they never had, despite all the reasons they should have.

And they were gone.

Because of him.

He took a in a slow breath, consciously shoving away the guilt, the crimson scarf around his neck feeling heavier than before.

Outwardly, he showed nothing, face blank and uncaring and his body relaxed. His mind soon followed. However, his kunai were within easy reach.

He heard the loud thumping of footsteps, which ingrained further his opinion of their inadequacy.

They all truly would make horrendous shinobi.

He sensed three bodies enter the room, though the noise would have given them away to any genin within 300 metres. The trio looked straight at him, obviously having heard the Order members failed attempt to verbally dissect him.

They were worse than academy students.

From the angry looks on their open faces, they had the same opinion as the orange-haired woman. It was almost funny that they thought they had a choice.

The skinny boy with the round glasses spoke up.

"I do not need some psycho babysitter watching me!" he ranted glaring at the Order as if they were the ones who had forced this upon him.

Kakashi looked at him with a stone-cold glare.

They were not going through this again.

* * *

 _ **Oroka**_ **\- Stupid**

 **This concludes the second chapter.**

 **I hope I managed to get the reactions and thoughts of both Kakashi and the wizards right and that you were not disappointed.**

 **Please could you review about what you like and what I can improve upon.**

 **Dōmo arigatōgozaimashita**


	3. Friction

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Harry Potter; they belong to Masashi Kishimoto and J K Rowling respectively.**

 **I am making no profit from this story, it is only for entertainment.**

 **Thank you to all who reviewed, favourited and followed this story. I am ever grateful for your support.**

 **To those who asked about pairings, Kakashi is going to have a hard enough job trying to trust them and vice versa to even think about romance.**

 **To the guest, I have an idea on how they are going to figure out his age but they won't be able to pinpoint it exactly. This will happen next chapter.**

 **To** **Multipule-Characters1-Acct** **it is not that either side needs to be 'fixed' but they need to understand more than anything. Neither side is the bad guy but to each side, the other is.**

 **Again, thank you everyone and I hope this chapter does not disappoint you.**

* * *

Chapter 3: **Friction**

Harry looked at the shinobi, noticing the cold, dagger-like gaze that was directed straight at them. He felt an involuntary shudder travel the length of his spine.

If someone had asked Harry to describe a stereotypical murderer before Voldemort and Pettigrew, this would be it. The dark, ominous colours, the menacing blade upon his back, the fact his features were almost entirely covered.

The odd features about him were a red scarf draped around his neck as it seemed out of place against the dark background, and the hair which was a mess of spiky silver.

But it was the sole, grey eye that convinced him.

It was dead, dull, despite the hard glare.

Empty like the sharks in the movies that Dudley used to watch. But it still felt dangerous, like one wrong move could deliver you into those merciless jaws.

This is what they thought could protect him?

He didn't even need to be coddled in the first place but they were seriously suggesting this guy?

Harry turned to glare at the Order, the ice fading from his body as a raging inferno replaced it.

"I don't need some psycho babysitter watching me!" he shouted, furious at 'protection' forced upon him.

First they were keeping secrets, insisting that he was too young to fight as part of the Order.

This was HIS fight. Voldemort killed his parents, had killed Cedric because of him, and caused trouble every year since he had started at Hogwarts. It was his right more than any of them.

Now they wanted some foreign Muggle to 'protect' him?

A killer, just like Voldemort.

There was no way in hell that was going to happen.

He turned to the shinobi, the anxiety he had first felt when laying eyes on him gone, replaced by indignant fury.

"You can go back to whatever pit you crawled out from. I don't need protection, I can look after myself. You would just be another problem" he announced, his stance unconsciously becoming defensive.

Hatake continued to look at him, not reacting in the slightest.

Sirius sighed and stood up, drawing Harry's attention, a resigned frown upon his weathered features.

"We are not keen on it either, but Dumbledore thought it was necessary so we accept his judgement".

Harry's face darkened further, unwilling to accept it as easily as the Order members had.

"No. I refuse. I will not be followed and spied on constantly for the next year and especially not by someone like him"

He turned back to the dark figure.

"Leave. Your 'services' are not required"

The shinobi glared at him unflinchingly, though Harry could have sworn the eye had been grey, not black.

"You are the mission, not the client" was all he said.

Harry bristled at the not-so-hidden insult. Why would no one listen to him?

"And you are a murderer, not a bodyguard" he retorted, the words dripping with obvious distain.

Tonks stood this time, the movement again drawing in rage-filled green eyes. What was she going to say to try and make this better? What could she say?

"Harry, you need to calm down. We hate this too and trust us, he will be closely monitored. But if we had someone like this last year, maybe Cedric would be alive. Maybe it could prevent the same thing happening again"

Harry features shifted from rage to shock.

She was seriously using that as a way to convince him? Talking him into hanging around a murderer by bringing up the victim of another?

He asked her so, his tone now a mixture of disbelief and anger.

"Nothing will happen to anyone else this year. Now I know they are coming I can do better, it's my responsibility" he continued.

The shinobi interrupted.

"You claim that you can protect yourself, but can you claim to have the ability to protect others? Are you willing to bet their lives?" he asked, showing the first sign of interest in the wizards though his expression did not change.

"What would you know about protecting people? You would only do it for the money, you don't understand about losing your friends, watching them die in front of you. You are probably the one who killed them!" Harry immediately shot back, barely registering the words as he spoke them.

How dare he?

The room suddenly felt suffocated.

Harry felt the earlier shudders again transverse his spine, though they became far more intense. His heart started to beat faster and his breathing came in gasps as he was forced to one knee. He was frozen, like the prey staring into the eyes of his predator.

And he was.

The sole black eye reflected nothing, as if absorbing the light that should be reflected. Harry could almost imagine the grim set of his jaw beneath the mask.

He could feel Ron and Hermione in the same position beside him, and the rest of the Order were not doing any better.

Suddenly, the truth slammed to the forefront of Harry's mind.

This was not some mindless murderer. This was a trained killer. This was a man who could assassinate him in more ways than even Voldemort ever could.

Then it was gone, and he could breathe once more, though it was still uneven. Unfrozen, he began to shake uncontrollably.

The shinobi turned and strode silently towards the door.

Moody, who had seemed to have recovered the quickest, offered to show him to his room.

"No, I will be fixing the security flaws and securing the area tonight" the shinobi replied, once again in a drone-like manner, though his shoulders were a fraction higher than they had been before.

The scarf he wore around his neck seemed to shimmer as he moved, like a drop of blood.

He left the room, Harry and the Order still trying to recover from the strange pressure.

* * *

Kakashi headed out the room, feeling the eyes bore into the back of his head and hearing them try to control their breathing after he had subdued his killing intent.

He was horrified at himself, at the loss of control he had just exhibited in front of a host of strangers. It was unheard of for Kakashi to disgrace himself in such a manner since long before Sensei and even back then it was rare.

Shinobi Rule 25: Shinobi should never show emotion.

Even before the White Fang had died, Kakashi had learned and followed the shinobi rules. However, after the older Hatake had fallen upon his sword, Kakashi had lived by them religiously.

Until Kannabi Bridge.

Heck, until Obito.

His teammate has always known the correct buttons to press when it came to Kakashi, even if he himself had not known it.

His lateness, his uncontrollable volume, those stupid proclamations that he was going to be Hokage.

The obnoxious orange goggles he always wore to hide his tears, which were now buried under a pile of rocks somewhere in Kusagakure.

Buried with him.

He had worn his heart on his sleeve, which had annoyed the hell out of Kakashi.

Annoyed him enough that he could not hide his own anymore.

But Obito died, and he had no one to break that control anymore, though he still had Rin. Then Rin had been killed, and he wished he could never feel again.

The lesson that those who disobeyed the rules were trash, but those who abandoned their friends were worse than trash was ingrained into his being.

But he understood why shinobi were never meant to feel.

Shinobi did not ever show their emotions, they controlled them. It was important skill that was employed in the majority of their missions and contributed to the success of many. However, Kakashi also thought another reason they had to control them was because they lost so much and caused others to lose just as much.

Controlling them made that easier to handle somehow.

He blamed the Potter boy for the slip.

It was like the older members of the Order all over again. Assuming he could actually prevent him from completing his mission, thinking he would not complete the mission correctly.

Only Hokage-sama and Dumbledore-sama had any say about the mission.

Potter-san and his two tag-a-longs reminded him of genin in a way; as if the war was their first mission after graduating the academy. They still had that bright eyed cockiness about them that was driven out of genin in their first year, either through D-ranks or through disastrous C-ranks.

And like green genin they also did not like the idea of killing someone for the mission. He hoped that they would get over it as quickly as the genin in Konoha did.

But they were fighting a war. Kakashi would have thought they would have more dealings with death than they have had so far. It seemed that these 'students' were extraordinarily sheltered for people of their age.

It also did not help that Potter-san had placed him into the same category he had Voldemort, which meant he trusted his bodyguard as much as he did the man who had tried to kill him several times and had succeeded in killing his friend.

Cedric appeared to be his name and by the way Potter-san was still reacting to his death, they must have been quite close.

But to hear Potter-san announce that he could protect himself and that nothing like last year would happen again, it sounded horribly familiar.

He had completely disregarded his friends. He had said that he could protect himself and that it was his responsibility.

His, not theirs.

He had only been mentioned the others when he had claimed that HE would not allow anything to happen.

It was selfish, and something he would have told Sensei in the same situation before he had joined Team Minato.

He did not want the trio to end up like his team.

So he had spoken up, without being prompted, to ask him the question that he wished someone had asked him, that he wished he had considered the answer to before he lost everything.

'You claim that you can protect yourself, but can you claim to have the ability to protect others? Are you willing to bet their lives?'

He had, and he had lost.

But Potter had replied.

He knew the boy was ignorant, that all the wizards were, to his world, to his past. He also knew it was going to stay that way.

But Potter had been far too close to the truth.

It was his fault that Obito had died, he knew that. The same as he knew that he was the one to kill Rin, whether it was her choice or not.

He still felt the phantom blood on his hand, the warmth that had surrounded it, the fading pulse of her heart, the squelch with every movement of his limb, after the _Chidori_ had pierced her chest.

The scarf around his neck tightened, the red shining crimson.

He had indeed killed his friends but he did not need some selfish, ignorant wizard to shove it into his face.

That was the statement that caused Kakashi's loss of control.

He had never intended to unleash the killing intent that had exploded within him, but he could not help it, to his chagrin. The anger he had felt at that moment had ruled him and he had wanted to smash something sharp into Potter's scrawny face.

He went up the staircase, the creaks that were ever present in the old wood remaining silent beneath his light step.

He needed to fix the security.

After he had washed his hands.

* * *

Dumbledore read over the letter he had just received.

 _Albus,_

 _I accept this mission on the behalf of Konohagakure and thank you for requesting our services._

 _Indeed, I too wish that we could converse in better circumstances, but it is not to be, due to the times and events we find ourselves in._

 _I have selected one of our best operatives to complete the mission requested and he fits perfectly into the majority of the criteria that you stated. Now, ordinarily you would only be provided with minimal response that we have accepted it and troops have been sent, however, due to the nature of this mission, I understand that you should be given more information about the operative._

 _Please understand that is this is classified and not to be shared._

 _The operative is Kakashi Hatake, as you would say in your culture, and he is already a long-standing solider within our ranks. He is a jounin, with a perfect mission record, and is more than capable of duplicating your magic with his chakra, if you supply him with a fake 'wand' as I recall you calling them._

 _He is the perfect age for the mission and has extensive espionage experience under his hitai-ate. He will have no problems completing the mission issued to him._

 _However, old friend, I am also asking a favour of you. Help him, however you can. He is one of the best shinobi we have to offer, however, he has also lost everyone he has ever cared about so please treat him with respect and not his age._

 _He deserves so much more._

 _I unfortunately received your letter the same day that your 'portkey' was due to transport Kakashi. I have fixed the communications breach so this letter should reach you in good time._

 _He has been given a brief overview of the various aspects of your culture though he will be able to pick everything up quickly and excel._

 _Sarutobi Hiruzen_

 _Sandaime Hokage of Konohagakure_

So there was still some issues with owl delivery to the Elemental Nations, he mused. It made sense that such a secretive culture lived in a place where it was difficult to not only communicate with, but to find.

It had surprised him though that Hiruzen had decided to share so much about the young man he had sent. Though to others, it looked as if Hiruzen had shared next to nothing, but to him who had known the old veteran for so long, he knew to read between the lines.

Kakashi Hatake was an extraordinary young man with intelligence and ability far beyond others of any age. He is roughly the same age as Harry, though it seemed he had started his career very young.

However, he has not had the easiest life which could pose a problem when it came to interacting with other students. He will not be used to the kind of environment that Hogwarts creates.

Overall, it did seem to be the best choice though it would certainly keep things interesting.

He folded the letter placing it to one side and took another two blank sheets of parchment, writing a short message onto them.

He turned to the owl which had delivered Hiruzen's letter, watching her drink the water he had laid upon the desk on her arrival.

The owl looked up and took the two envelopes that Dumbledore offered.

"To Minerva and Severus please, and then you can rest in the owlery" he told her, petting her head briefly in thanks.

She spread her wings and took off, leaving out of the same open window that she had entered.

Dumbledore glanced once more at the letter. Indeed, this year would be interesting. He returned to the paperwork he had been trudging through before the arrival of the owl.

It seemed Cornelius was becoming far more paranoid than in years past.

* * *

The house was dark and silent, the night chill sweeping through the air.

Kakashi had returned to the attic, which appeared to double as his room. The house was now in far better shape than it had been when he had arrived.

The surveillance points that he had spotted when first approaching the premises were completely obstructed though Kakashi was sure to check each of them when he passed them on his patrol.

The points of possible entry he had also noticed were now covered, even if he could not prevent them altogether due to the nature of the house. He had placed one Nin dog at each of the 6 points though he knew he could not do this every night for the next month.

He supposed that Dumbledore-sama had sent for him so early was so he could acclimatise to their society.

It should not be too hard, he had adapted to far more radical situations before as part of a mission, and he could do so again.

But he knew that he would not be getting much sleep for the next month as there was only so much he could prevent and he could not ask his dogs to stay up every night.

It was probably better though that he did not succumb to slumber, however, as it would leave him more vulnerable in a house full of hostiles.

No, it would be better for all if he did not sleep, though he could not put it off forever. He mostly just did not want to see the betrayed, dying faces of his team so early into a new mission.

But those dreams haunted his thoughts throughout the night as he patrolled, as if mocking him that he had thought he could escape.

As if he had thought he could have a moment of peace.

* * *

 **This concludes the third chapter.**

 **I hope I managed to get the reactions and thoughts of both Kakashi and Harry right and that you were not disappointed.**

 **Please could you review about what you like and what I can improve upon.**

 **Dōmo arigatōgozaimashita**


	4. Contrast

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Harry Potter; they belong to Masashi Kishimoto and J K Rowling respectively.**

 **I am making no profit from this story, it is only for entertainment.**

 **Thank you to all who reviewed, favourited and followed this story. I am ever grateful for your support.**

 **To** **Marz1** **thank you I have fixed the mistake in the first chapter. The reason Ron does not think it is a good idea is because he does not see it as one cancelling out the other. He sees it as twice the problems.**

 **I hope I got the reactions to his age okay and though it is not explosive, I tried to make it as believable as possible.**

 **I hope you enjoy and are not disappointed.**

 ***Bold = spoken in Japanese**

* * *

Chapter 4: **Contrast**

It had been twelve days since Kakashi had first arrived at the dingy, old house and after observing and cataloguing the behaviour and mannerisms of the wizards for two weeks, he had reached a solid conclusion.

Wizards were without doubt the strangest group of people he had ever encountered.

After his slip-up on the first evening, they had avoided even looking at him for the first week.

He still was not quite sure why. Yes, he had unleashed some killing intent but it had been a mistake, so it was barely strong enough to affect even genin.

Despite this, he had begun his mission and shadowed Potter around the Black household diligently, while at night keeping watch over the old place. Every time he had entered a new room, the people within hesitated slightly, their eyes darting towards him briefly.

They then went back to what they had been doing previously, but there was still tension in their stance.

Disregarding how the arrangement had come to be, it worked for Kakashi. They ignored him and he returned the favour.

Potter had been especially jumpy for the first couple of days, but since Kakashi had barely left his side during the waking hours, he acclimatised.

From Kakashi's observations though, the majority of the time Potter did not even know he was there.

He was not even trying, but apparently, they still had trouble keeping track of him. Kami-sama help them if he ever put any effort into it.

However, there had been one incident five days after his arrival, involving the Weasley twins, who had not only caused a stir but also caused most of them to overcome their fear of him.

* * *

 _The younger members of the house were cleaning out one of the dining rooms, as they had been cleaning the premises for the past few days under the orders of the loud, orange-haired woman._

 _Kakashi sat in his usual spot, the far right-hand corner, which allowed him the optimum view of the room and enabled him to easily watch and reach the exits._

 _He had sensed there was something different about the doorway that day, but after thoroughly checking each nook and cranny it had to offer, he found nothing._

 _The twins had returned from the kitchen to tell Potter and the others that lunch had been served, after leaving to check if they were allowed to have a break despite only starting work three hours ago._

 _Why wizards ate so much was beyond him, as they actually did very little, and to have three cooked meals a day was just plain gluttonous. Fortunately, she had never offered anything to him._

 _They had all stomped out of the room, causing Kakashi to thank Kami-sama that his nose was sharper than his ears. He followed at the rear, the wider range of vision allowing him to keep his eye on them more effectively._

 _However, there was something that day that was different than the previous ones since he had arrived._

 _The twins had stopped outside the doorway to wait for him._

 _This had alerted Kakashi that they were concocting something that he would more than likely regret, as despite their nature as pranksters, they were about as subtle as his_ Doton: Doryūheki.

 _He checked the threshold once more before exiting; easily ensuring it would go unnoticed by the twins as they did not have the same observational skills as the fake-Byakugan user. He looked over at the duo to note their reaction._

 _The twins were glancing at each other with wide eyes, as if they had found the answer they had been looking for._

 _Kakashi had glared at them, for once confused, as he had noticed nothing. He had then shrugged it off, going through to the kitchen where the others in the room were by then used to his silent steps._

 _The 'trio', as they were known, were sat at the table alongside the youngest Weasley, and the mother of the hoard of carrot-tops was buzzing about the bubbling pots._

 _Though he had dismissed it for the moment, he paid particular attention to the twins as they entered the room._

 _They looked over at him and the shorter one asked,_

 _"_ _How old are you?"his expression showing that he found the answer already, but needed final confirmation._

 _Kakashi wondered briefly why this piece of information was so valuable to them, as though he had no intention of revealing it, it was hardly the most significant thing they could ask him._

 _Silence was his response._

 _"_ _We know you are either eighteen or younger so you might as well tell us" the taller one continued, unable to hide his gleeful look any longer._

 _It was the same look they both got when a prank was successful._

 _Kakashi's eye sharpened, breaking down their previous actions to attempt to dissect at what point they had pulled something. Like the doorway, he could find nothing._

 _The doorway._

 _The thought struck him, though anyone looking at him would be unable to tell there was anything crossing his mind._

 _What had they done to the doorway?_

 _The bushy-haired girl spoke up, her tone dubious._

 _"_ _How would you know that? There is no way he is that young"._

 _The twins again looked each other and back to her, at the same time saying,_

 _"_ _Age line" both sounding extremely pleased with themselves._

 _"_ _We wanted to know…_

 _"…_ _how old he was, cause his hair makes him look like a geezer…"_

 _"…_ _so we took a page out of Dumbledore's book, though it was actually Percy's…"_

 _"…_ _and surrounded the dining room doorway with an age line…"_

 _"…_ _that only allowed those eighteen and below to pass it…_

 _"…_ _and he did" finished the shorter one, as they were each speaking in turn._

 _Kakashi managed to follow the broken speech, and gleaned that they had put a jutsu on the door to find out his age. That was why he had felt something was off with the door, the same as he had thought something was off with this house when he had first seen it._

 _It was 'magic', but since he only knew it was there due to Dumbledore-sama's necklace, he still had bother recognizing it._

 _It was devious, though-out and executed reasonably well. If they had not indicated anything at the doorway, it would have been an excellent plan._

 _There was hope for those two, though he felt disappointed he had not recognized the trap. This place was turning him soft._

 _Still, how very shinobi of them._

 _The population of the kitchen had turned to look at Kakashi._

 _This was why he did not want them to know. Not only was it dangerous to reveal too much about yourself, but judging by the first day, they would not react well to this kind of information._

 _"_ _Wait, so you are at most about a year older than Fred and George?" the younger Weasley boy asked, his mouth hanging open, allowing Kakashi the perfect view of whatever he had shoved in there._

 _"_ _And you might not even be that?" the bushy one continued._

 _While the younger ones at the table looked at him in utter shock, and the two at the doorway congratulated each other, the woman had stopped buzzing about and was looking at him._

 _To Kakashi's surprise, he noted he expression to be a cross between shock and pity._

 _He bristled._

 _He did not want pity. He did not need pity._

 _He hated it._

 _Others in the village had looked him like that, when he had lost Rin, and they had increased in number after the death of Sensei._

 _Why would she look at him like that? Why did this stranger feel sorry for someone she was ready to maim only a few days ago?_

 _"_ _So they must have started you young? Did you even get a choice? You must not know any better" the woman mused, almost as if talking to herself._

 _Kakashi stared at her, almost unable to comprehend that she actually asked those questions. Seriously, was age that much of an issue?_

 _They came from totally different cultures. In this one they happened to baby anyone still attending their academy and the older ones were not that much better. In his, they trained young so they would be better shinobi in the future. Were they all idiots?_

 _Kakashi summoned Pakkun, ensuring that the others could not see the hand signs. In a puff of smoke the small pug appeared, looking at his surrounding with distaste._

 _" **What is this dump**?" he asked, looking the pudgy faces of the strangers who were staring at him, for some reason looking startled._

 ** _"_ Mission. Watch the small, awkward looking one until I return **_" Kakashi replied, already leaving the room._

 _Pakkun sat where Kakashi had vacated, spotting the small, black-haired boy that had been indicated. He memorised the smell so he could not lose him._

 _Kakashi stalked about the house, doing his usual nightly checks, though it was only the afternoon.._

Osekkaina _wizards_.

* * *

After the revelation of his age that day, though they could not pinpoint it exactly, the attitude towards Kakashi shifted slightly. They still darted their eyes towards him when he entered the room behind Potter, but now they lingered, as if instead of fearing the unknown they wished to solve the puzzle.

Their previous fear was practically gone, as if being the same age as the twins had removed any possible danger. He was sure if would be even worse if they found out he was actually a year younger.

It was degrading, as if his ability as a shinobi did not matter until he reached the correct age.

It reminded him of the days when he had graduated from the academy, as many thought a 5-year old genin would be of no use in the forces, no matter how capable they were. It was worse when he became chunin, as he was expected to lead a squad but when they were at least a decade older, it was highly unlikely that they would ever listen.

His age had always been an obstacle, even as a jounin, as many doubted him merely because he had been eleven.

The only time he had escaped this prejudice was when he had joined the ANBU Black ops. Everyone was equal and they followed the instructions of their captain, no matter the age of the individual.

Their success spoke for them.

But for this mission, he had been reduced to a jounin, and though he was now fifteen which was a 'respectable' age in Konoha, here even eighteen was judged to be too young.

It was frustrating.

The wizards picked up nothing of his thoughts, as after the first day he was not going to be careless enough to alert them to his true feelings again.

All he had to do was protect Potter and ensure the security of the house until they went to Hogwarts. But before they could go to the school Potter had to appear at a trial for 'use of underage magic in front of a muggle'.

Apparently there was an age limit to using their chakra.

No wonder Dumbledore-sama had contacted Sandaime-sama. Potter would never survive if his only defence in this war was banned simply because he was not born two years earlier.

By this point Kakashi could only wonder how this Voldemort person had not won years ago.

* * *

Harry looked down at the letter he had received just before the shinobi had arrived.

His trial was tomorrow; the decision of whether he could return to Hogwarts would be known in 24 hours.

 _Dear Mr. Potter,_

 _We have received intelligence that you performed the_ _Patronus Charm_ _at twenty-three minutes past nine this evening in a Muggle-inhabited area and in the presence of a_ _Muggle_ _._

 _The severity of this breach of the_ _Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery_ _has resulted in your expulsion from_ _Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_ _._

 _However, following discussions with the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the Ministry has agreed that the question of your expulsion will also be decided your hearing. You should therefore consider yourself suspended from school pending further inquires._

 _As you have already received an_ _official warning_ _for a previous offence under Section 13 of the International Confederation of Warlocks'_ _Statute of Secrecy_ _, we regret to inform you that your presence is required at a_ _disciplinary hearing_ _at the_ _Ministry of Magic_ _at 9 a.m. on the twelfth of_ _August_ _._

 _Hoping you are well,_

 _Yours sincerely,_

 _Mafalda Hopkirk_

 _Improper Use of Magic Office_ _Ministry of Magic_

Ever since he had told everyone what had happened at the cemetery in the final of the Cup, he swore that the Ministry was jumping at any chance to discredit him.

How could they be so blind to the threat of Voldemort? He was back and they didn't believe him.

Refused to believe it.

It was frustrating.

Although, the shinobi hovering over his every move for the past two weeks had been almost as annoying.

Hatake had taken his mission far too seriously; no one was going to attack him in Grimmauld. They would have to find the house first and there were aurors all over the place.

Not that they were needed. He was perfectly capable of protecting himself.

Though most of the time he didn't even register the ninja. He must have been trying to be discreet as there were only a few occasions that Harry had managed to confirm his location.

Though how he could miss the mess of bright silver hair he hadn't quite figured out yet.

However, the fact he could not be older than Fred and George had shocked him. He had though the shinobi was much older, though he couldn't put his wand on exactly what it was.

Maybe it was the hair.

Now he knew though, the dark, ominous figure he had met the first day disappeared and was replaced by a weirdly dressed, but still creepy muggle. The scarf remained the strangest thing about him though. But now instead of crimson like blood it was a deep red, like what is found on the hearts of valentine cards.

It did not match him at all, though he would look strange without it.

But he still had trouble wrapping his mind around the fact that such a young guy had already killed; and by the sound of it, had been doing it for years.

How old must he have been when he started? It couldn't have been as long as when they had started at Hogwarts.

A murderer at thirteen?

He didn't seem so bad now as he was probably raised to do it; he wouldn't know the right thing to do.

Overall though, he was still torn at which to be more surprised at; his age or the talking dog.

The shinobi had not even twitched but there had been a puff of grey smoke and a small pug appeared. It was wearing the same symbol that Hatake carried round and wore a blue jacket. Somehow, he didn't imagine the ninja as one to dress up their pets.

Then it had spoken.

Completely in Japanese, as he learned from Hermione later, as the fast-paced words and the complete foreignness had made it sound like gibberish to him.

But Harry had heard nothing about when this shinobi had come from, so was it Japan? Did they have communities over there too and did they produce people like Hatake?

That was a freaky thought.

So after he had produced the dog somehow, he had left the kitchen to do whatever he does when not tailing Harry and the pug had sat down in his place.

And stared right at him.

It was unnerving. It was not the dead, empty look he always saw with the ninja. This was sharp, calculating, taking in every detail. It looked completely out of place in the eyes of an animal.

It was now a week later and he had seen no sign of the dog, though Hatake was being more careful around the twins.

Over the space of time that the shinobi has joined the household, Harry had noted, that Ron and Hermione had noticed too, was that the shinobi was about as full of feelings and expression as a rock. No facial expressions, no body language, not even words.

The only time he had spoken was in gibberish when the dog had appeared.

He was like a drone, programmed to never feel or act human, as that might overload its systems.

But considering the type of culture he lived in, where 13-year olds were killers and it was not thought of as unusual, his demeanour might be completely understandable.

But enough about the stranger.

He had a trial tomorrow that decided his whole future.

He needed to sort out his priorities.

* * *

 ** _Doton: Doryūheki = Earth Release: Mud Wall_**

 _ **Osekkaina = Nosy**_

 **This concludes the fourth chapter.**

 **I hope I managed to get the reactions and thoughts of both Kakashi and Harry right and that you were not disappointed. I know the reactions to his age were not quite as severe as the first meeting but I hope can understand from the chapter how I tried to convey it.**

 **I know Kakashi is fifteen which is the same as Harry though I write that he is a year older. He turns sixteen the September of that year while Harry has just turned fifteen. Hope this did not cause any confusion.**

 **Please could you review about what you like and what I can improve upon.**

 **Dōmo arigatōgozaimashita**


	5. Trapped

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Harry Potter; they belong to Masashi Kishimoto and J K Rowling respectively.**

 **I am making no profit from this story, it is only for entertainment.**

 **Thank you to all who reviewed, favourited and followed this story. I am ever grateful for your support.**

 **To** **Astral and Celestial** **more plot is coming, and I think the reason Kakashi's control is not as perfect as it is when he is in his culture is because even for such an incredible shinobi such as himself, the wizards culture is completely alien and he is human. Highly trained but still human so he needs some time to adjust.**

 **To** **Tabjoy13** **thanks for all your reviews and the reason Kakashi is more leaned towards robotic is that he doesn't want to feel. Would you if you had lost everything? Snape left before the shinobi was discussed as the meeting had been on a while and there is a reason I am keeping the two apart for now.**

 **Again thanks to everyone who contributed and I am so sorry it took so long. I was busy with my university application which I was totally panicking about, but I managed to secure an unconditional to Aberdeen. Another reason is I was not sure how to write this chapter, as I tried to introduce Kakashi to Muggle culture.**

 **I hope I did okay and I hope you enjoy and are not disappointed.**

* * *

Chapter 5: **Trapped**

Kakashi stood close to the wall, carefully assessing the activity in the kitchen.

The wizards had been up abnormally early today, due to the 'trial' that Potter was required to attend. It had been slightly strange for them not to waste the day lounging in their beds but he supposed that this would be a rare occasion.

Potter had been especially restless this morning, even going so far as to wake up on his own.

Though Kakashi still was not quite sure why they slept so much. 0530 hours was hardly early enough to warrant surprise. That was standard if you wanted a decent day's training.

He had not slept the previous night, not that he had needed to. A few hours every couple days would be sufficient, though due to ANBU he was trained for less. In some missions it was too risky to attempt.

However, the previous night had been the most informative of the two weeks since he had started guarding the boy as he had managed to meet the client.

Dumbledore-sama had reminded him very much of Sandaime-sama, and though he did not seem combat-orientated. It was more that he emitted the same presence, a balance of a calm sensei and powerful veteran.

He had not approached the shinobi, only spoken to a select few wizards and had left, but he looked over at him, right at him, with mere curious and observing eyes.

Neither anger nor contempt.

None.

It was unsettling to meet the first non-hostile wizard since arriving in their society, though it did not mean that he had let down his guard. There must have been a reason the man reminded him of Sandaime-sama.

Potter had seemed irritated that Dumbledore-sama had not spoken to him while he was visiting, though why the young wizard thought he was entitled to the special attention of his leader puzzled him.

That would be like a genin expecting Sandaime-sama to take notice of their individual training.

Favouritism was not the path to a successful soldier.

As Harry sat down to play with the food he had been given by the matriarch, Kakashi made a mental note to stock up his supply of rations. Though the two weeks had not made much of a dent in the standard mission pack, he would rather be prepared.

He had managed to avoid eating around the wizards, though his face still would have been hidden, and before the age jutsu incident they had not offered which had made it even easier.

Afterwards, they had started but the lack of response had successfully thrown them off and they had perfected pretending that he was not even present, though he could tell the fake-Byakugan user had his eye zeroed on to him whenever they were in the same vicinity.

Kakashi wondered if a chakra flash would have the same effect on him as it did the Hyūga.

Not that it would be appropriate to find out, though it could be useful for future encounters.

The weathered looking man was also sat in the kitchen, beside Potter, but he kept glancing the shinobi's way, as if wondering how to start.

"What are your plans for the trial? You cannot go as that would tip off anyone that Harry as protection but I have a feeling you are not going to stay behind" he asked, his dark eyes peering into Kakashi, trying to read what he could see of the ninja's face.

"The mission objective is to protect Potter-san. He will be accompanied to any destination he wishes to go" Kakashi responded, speaking to them for the first time in two weeks.

"But won't it be noticeable if someone like you were to pop into the ministry? You don't exactly look like one of us" the red-haired man pointed out, from where he stood near his wife at the stove.

Weasley, his name was. How he had put up with that loud one long enough to produce such a sizable clan was beyond Kakashi.

"I will not be recognised nor compromise the safety of Potter-san" Kakashi answered, his monotone washing over the occupants of the kitchen.

"How?" the blonde blurted, a yawn escaping at the end of the question.

Kakashi looked at her.

She was not blonde yesterday. Her hair had changed to multiple colours during his time in the household but no one else had though it strange. It was not genjutsu so what else might produce that effect?

She would be valuable for espionage missions.

"Classified"

The wizards looked annoyed at the response, but it was not his problem. What did they expect?

Potter looked as if he had not heard any of what had transpired, as he looked down at his breakfast as though it would poison him.

Which, of course, it could not, as Kakashi had run through the standard checks for harmful substances before it had been served.

Thoughts of the trial must be plaguing the boy, but had he not realised that there was more going on than illegal use of jutsu?

That in itself was suspicious but it could not be a coincidence that Harry had proclaimed the return of Voldemort and soon after his government was trying to prosecute him. He had seen it before; political figures attempting to silence each other to protect themselves.

He was usually the one hired to 'silence' them.

The research he had done on the recent events in this culture was proving itself to be useful. Though how Potter expected to defeat this 'powerful dark wizard' when he could not see a simple political ploy, he could not grasp.

There was much in this society he was having difficulty wrapping his head around but most of it seemed to be centred on these people's flawed thinking process.

He pushed aside his analysis on what he had gathered for the moment, as Weasley headed towards the door, Harry in tow.

Kakashi stood up and followed, and just before crossing the threshold disappeared from the sight of the people left. He located a secluded spot, still able to sense Potter and transformed into a plain middle aged man.

As part of his training for jounin, Minato-sensei had drilled into him the importance of being able to silently perform the three basic techniques. It had saved him on many of the more covert missions he completed in ANBU.

He did not need the hand seals either, as not using them would not only protect the secrets of the jutsu but it would also be an advantage over an enemy.

He joined the street in his _Henge_ and followed the two members of the Grimmauld household.

He doubted they knew he was still there.

* * *

Harry followed closely behind Mr Weasley through the nearly deserted streets, glancing at the broken neighbourhood as they walked along.

It had been an awful morning, from the moment he had abruptly woken and the paintings teasing him, continuing to the breakfast that tasted like carpet, to now, as he followed Mr Weasley to the Ministry.

The fact that Dumbledore had come to the house and had not asked to see him made him feel even worse, added to the fact that Sirius was confined to the house.

He had thought the kitchen would be empty at that time of morning but Sirius, Lupin, Tonks and Mr and Mrs Weasley has all been up waiting for him. He was only grateful he had not been required to talk, except to break the news to Mrs Weasley that his hair was untameable.

Sirius and Lupin had tried to reassure him, but Harry didn't think it worked.

He took a quick glance at his surroundings for a glimpse of silver and red but found nothing. He knew the shinobi would follow him, but he had no idea how the shinobi would blend into the London crowd, let alone the wizards at the Ministry.

He wasn't exactly the most covert looking assassin he could imagine, but despite his peculiar outfit and the shocking mess of silver hair, Harry couldn't spot him.

During the days after the age line revelation, he had noticed the shinobi less and less. It was not that it was intentional; it was like when you bought a new watch when you don't normally wear one. At first all you do is focus on it, but over time you barely remember it's there, because it is there ALL the time.

The shinobi had not left Harry's side since the first evening they met him. He knew that Hatake was there, even if he could not find him most of the time, but now it was just something he accepted as part of his day.

To think that they had been so intimidated on the first day. The shinobi was now basically part of the furniture. It was slightly unsettling to think that of a murderer, but the novelty had mostly disappeared and it was scarily easy to forget that fact.

Most of that reason is due to the fact that Hatake doesn't DO anything. He doesn't eat, sleep, nor drink; nothing that Harry could see. All he does is stand there, the times that he was visible.

Watching him was like watching paint dry.

Mr Weasley walked up a shabby looking street, looking positively delighted to be there. The whole journey to the Ministry he had been unable to hide his enthusiasm about the Muggles, even going so far as to admire a broken ticket machine.

He had been like a kid walking through a candy store and at the same time, almost completely hopeless.

Mr Weasley pointed out an old, red telephone box which looked as though it had been beaten for its lunch money.

"Here we are" he announced brightly, looking at it as if it was the most exciting thing he had seen so far today, which was really something considering his journey through candy land.

"After you Harry" Mr Weasley said opening the door and gesturing inside.

After he squeezed in alongside Harry and reached for the receiver, Harry thought he should probably speak up.

"I think this might be out of order too" Harry pointed out, unsure of what was going on beneath the mop of red hair.

"No, no, I'm sure it's fine" Mr Weasley replied, mumbling numbers under his breath as he dialled.

Harry watched as he finished dialling, and stared at him as the invisible lady spoke. After what appeared to be a screening to ensure they were who they claimed to be, a name tag popped out of where the returned coins usually came from.

He attached it to his t-shirt as the telephone descended into the ground and the pavement rose. A dull grinding noise was all that could be heard and they plunged into complete darkness. It remained like this until they seemingly reached the bottom and a golden light flooded the box.

Though he could have sworn that there had been an extra tiny groan within the grinding, as if more weight had been suddenly added, but with the way it was whining it was hard to tell.

Once he had stepped out of the box and his eyes had adjusted, Harry looked around. Long lines of fire places were on both sides of the overly wide corridor, and the witches and wizards popped out of the ones on the left with each flash of green light, while queues led to the ones on the right.

A magnificent fountain complete with gold statues was further down the hall and the _cracks_ and _pops_ from apparating wizards blended with the sound of the tinkling water.

However, the main feature of the ministry was the people. The mass of people that crowded the massive hall, all handling some form of paperwork or briefcase. Harry and Mr Weasley joined the throng of workers, trying not to bump into any of them.

Mr Weasley led him to a desk on the left, which sat below a sign that read _Security_. He exchanged his wand for a slip of parchment on a brass spike, noting the security wizard dart his eyes towards his name badge and his scar.

Again joining the sea of people, Mr Weasley directed Harry to the lifts, chatting with a man with a fire-breathing chicken. Harry wasn't even surprised; after the dragons last year, once you have seen one fire-breathing creature you've seen them all. At least this one wasn't trying to eat him.

He could feel the gazes of the others in the lift focus on him as he stared at his feet.

The door opened for a few levels until it finally stopped at the second level, the chicken man getting off at the fourth one. Mr Weasley exited the lift and walked down the corridor.

"Mr Weasley, aren't we still underground?" Harry asked, seeing the sun shine through the windows.

"Yes we are. Those are enchanted windows. Maintenance decides the weather we get every day. We had a couple months of hurricanes the last time they were hinting for a pay rise" he explained, turning the corner.

After meeting Kingsley and being guided to Mr Weasley's office, Harry settled himself in for the wait.

* * *

Kakashi had to give the wizards at least one thing; they were good at hiding themselves. If he hadn't been following Weasley it would have taken him a quite a bit longer to locate the source of the wizard's government.

His _Henge_ had blended perfectly with the crowds as they had walked through the stone city. There were no trees or colour. Just stone and glass. Iwa would have a field day with this place. There were also these strange multicoloured boxes on wheels that smelt horrible.

Kakashi's sensitive nose could barely handle just walking down the street.

And people were so open and undefended. There was no look of suspicion or caution in their eyes, unlike back home, they just walked. As if they were safe from their enemies.

At least the wizards at Grimmauld had a healthy sense of suspicion about other people.

It was odd, how easy it would be to assassinate someone here.

Potter was taken to a strange place underground with a long line of joined metal box. Why on Kami-sama's earth they would put cramped steel boxes underground and herd people into them Kakashi would probably never understand.

There were signs that could have told him what this place and that contraption was but he was not going to expose himself by walking up the wall to check with the necklace.

It reminded him of some of the rumours from _Yuki no Kuni_ , but that place was so tied up with civil war that it was difficult to determine accurate intelligence.

He was trained to remain calm in pressured situations, but this had tested his limits.

Potter had gotten into the one of the boxes so Kakashi had gone with him, and he had hated it. Surrounded by people, closed in by metal walls, it made him appreciate the forests of _Hi no Kuni_.

He was constantly on edge as he could feel other people's bodies pressed against him, leaving enough room for a slim blade to enter his ribs. His senses had never been sharper, though they were almost overwhelmed by the grossness of the box.

He managed to look indifferent in his _Henge_ , as if he stood in this foul death box every day.

It had appeared to be a form of transportation, though Kakashi would take running any day. He had got off the thing when the pair did, almost letting out a sigh of relief.

Kakashi may have been one of the most highly trained members of Konoha, but even he was pushed when forced to enter a tiny box full of people that made strange sounds. The things he did for his village.

As the two had travelled the city to a quieter section, he deduced that even they might notice him so he left the street, passing through the shadows, exchanging his _Henge_ for a perception altering genjutsu. An underrated jutsu that made those that saw him unable to register his presence.

Combine with his highly polished stealth methods, he was invisible. Even with Rin's scarf.

Potter and Weasley had walked along the street, Kakashi blending in with the rundown buildings at the sides. As they headed for a battered red box, his confusion grew as they opened the door and went inside, despite the squeeze.

What was it about this culture and small metal boxes? They were the worst environment possible for defence and offence and were totally impractical.

As they fumbled around in the red box for a moment, giving Kakashi the chance to get closer, hesitating as he assessed for the purpose that Weasley had brought Potter here. Was he not to attend a 'trial' today?

Suddenly, the red box shuddered and started to sink into the earth. Kakashi's eye widened slightly as he pushed some chakra into his legs and bounded towards the disappearing box. As he reached it he saw the hole in the ground and relaxed.

He hopped lightly on top of the box, hearing the tiny groan from his added weight, even with chakra on the soles of his sandals. As the dark surrounded him, he again cast his _Henge_ , adapting it so the plain, brown-haired he had been before was now dressed in a dull grey suit.

He kept the genjutsu up to be secure.

As the box descended, it landed on a marble floor in a hall with a high ceiling and fire places lining the wall. Kakashi leapt to the ground, after ensuring none were paying attention to him, and followed after Potter and Weasley.

This place seemed far too insecure to be the wizards' base of operations but he had to concede it was initially well hidden. As Potter and Weasley made their way through what looked to be security Kakashi followed, slipping past unnoticed.

Were all wizards so arrogant to believe that their little sticks could protect them from everything? Even the supposed security only checked the stick; they did not check Potter for any hidden weapons.

The pair entered another box, this one grey. It was even more crammed with people than the long box from the underground they had travelled in.

Kakashi swore when he returned to the village he would live outside in a little tree house with large windows and no door. Defending and securing it would make for excellent training.

As Kakashi squeezed in, keeping his sole eye on Potter, he felt the paranoia developed from years of defending his life creep in, as his mind ran through the various possibilities that they could be attacked.

There were so many strangers that could take the perfect opportunity to take out Potter.

He glanced quickly at the fire-breathing bird, but was not the weirdest thing he had ever seen. There were plenty of summons that were more surprising.

Soon the only ones left on the steel box were Potter, Weasley and Kakashi, though they barely glanced at him due to the combination of his genjutsu and _Henge_. As they exited, Kakashi followed, remaining undetected.

No wonder they had hired someone in his profession. If the enemy had done it first, they would all be dead.

* * *

 ** _Henge_ = Transformation technique taught at the Academy**

 ** _Hi no Kuni_** **= Land of Fire**

 ** _Yuki no Kuni_** **= Land of Snow**

 **This concludes the fifth chapter.**

 **I hope I managed to get the reactions and thoughts of both Kakashi and Harry right and that you were not disappointed. I hope Kakashi's reactions to the Muggles culture are good enough and that Harry was good too.**

 **Please could you review about what you like and what I can improve upon.**

 **Dōmo arigatōgozaimashita**


	6. Enemy

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Harry Potter; they belong to Masashi Kishimoto and J K Rowling respectively.**

 **I am making no profit from this story, it is only for entertainment.**

 **Thank you to all who reviewed, favourited and followed this story. I am ever grateful for your support.**

 **To everyone who made suggestions about my grammar, tenses, punctuation, wording, etc. Thank you very much for pointing them out and I have tried to fix as much as I can. If you see anything else please feel free to point it out.**

 **This chapter is more focused on Kakashi and his point of view. This chapter also lays some of the groundwork for later in terms of plot. The boggart will be next chapter and he will be off to Hogwarts within the next two or three chapters. This story is probably not going to be short and I hope you can all bear with me. But I will never abandon this, because I hate it when others do. I don't want to be one of them.**

 **Sorry if it feels I am dragging this out but everything has a reason for being there. I hope I did okay and you are not disappointed.**

* * *

Chapter 6: **Enemy**

Kakashi slowly jogged long stone corridor, following his charge. This part of the Ministry did not fit with the open chamber with the over-the-top fountain, or any of the corridors and offices he had catalogued so far.

It was darker than the others, lit only by classic torches attached to the walls. It was almost similar to some of the places that he had infiltrated on previous missions, unlike the chakra-powered parts of the network. It seemed such a waste to use chakra for such menial purposes.

The stone walls were cold and hard; the hurried steps from the pair in front bouncing off the firm surface, echoing within his sensitive ears. Though it was only the three of them travelling this corridor, they still failed to notice him. The combination of his genjutsu and _henge_ was made even more effective by the poor lighting.

Why would the trial be held here? From what he had observed they had passed multiple rooms which would be equally suitable for their purposes. They had also changed the time suddenly, hence why the two in front were moving briskly towards the allocated room.

Well, briskly for them, if the heavy breathing and the faint scent of sweat he was picking was any indication.

This had politics written all over it, and their government seemed to be specifically targeting Potter. Was it due to his claims from this past spring? It had to be, as the intelligence he had gathered had not dug up anything else of note.

He had survived his parents' death when he was barely one, and had been having trouble in their academy since he started at eleven. There had been a few incidents which had drawn the Ministry's interest but it was only the recent one that seemed to have spurred them into action.

They seemed to have a crippling fear of this Voldemort figure, as Kakashi did not think the death of one student would bother them this much. Indeed, they were trying to pass it off as an accident, and the fact that Potter was speaking out against them, insisting it was murder, was most likely at the root of their persecution.

Overall, they seemed to be in denial about the return of Voldemort, and were not taking Potter challenging them lightly.

This was turning out to be far more complicated than the mission brief had outlined. He was trained to adapt to various circumstances, but even Kakashi would have difficulty guarding Potter from politics, though he could stop the kunai entering his back.

The two stopped suddenly in front of a worn wooden door that was augmented with iron. They exchanged a few words as Weasley slumped against the wall, holding his torso in pain. Kakashi knew that he had not been injured beforehand, but could such a gentle jog really affect them this much?

Kakashi quickly scanned the door as they spoke, scanning for a less obvious way in. No windows or weak points that he could exploit; that door was the only way in. The door was old and had almost certainly not been maintained correctly, meaning it would be too loud to open after Potter.

They had been informed that Potter would be attending a hearing, but Kakashi had carried out enough missions to question what was really beyond that door. There had been times where he was the one waiting behind the door, foregoing the trial and skipping to the execution.

So Potter could not go in alone.

A plan began to form at the forefront of Kakashi's mind. Whoever was waiting on the other side, they would be completely focusing on Potter. There would be no reason for them to expect another to come through the door in Potter's shadow.

And while he still had issues recognizing their chakra and jutsu, despite Dumbledore-sama's necklace making it so he could see them, they, in all probability, had never seen his kind before. So they would not be able to identify it.

The genjutsu he had been using thus far and an adjustment of his _henge_ to _m_ _eisaigakure no jutsu_ and he would be invisible. Combined with ANBU level stealth skills, there would be no chance of them registering his presence. Even jounin-level shinobi would probably never find him.

This would work.

Potter opened the door before him, his conversation over as Weasley wheezed, attempting to regain his breathe.

Kakashi crept forward, switching his to the _meisaigakure no jutsu_ while maintain his genjutsu. His steps were silent; it was as if there was no third man.

Potter passed the threshold, Kakashi close behind. As the door shut behind them and Potter walked forward, Kakashi closely followed the wall making his way the group of purple cloaked wizards.

All eyes remain on Potter as Kakashi quickly switched back to _henge_ , now matching the people around him. He silently praised the shinobi whom had created this genjutsu.

He settled on the edge of the group, not even attracting a single glance. They were too bust murmuring about the boy in the centre.

Potter sat on a chair in the centre of the room, strange chains attached to the sides. There was a tiny _clink_ from them, as if they had been about to move. He stared at them, but they refused to move again.

As one of the cloaked figures stood to speak and start the hearing, Kakashi enhanced his senses with chakra. The more he could observe and gather here, the more prepared he could be in the future it this nonsense started up again.

The hairs on the back of his neck prickled beneath his illusion, alerting his long-honed instincts.

Someone was watching him.

This should not be happening with his genjutsu still operating so strongly.

Kakashi continued to gaze at the figure speaking, unwilling to signal to them that he had picked up on it. It must have been the moment he had switched back to _henge_ , as even with the tiny amount of chakra used, it appeared to be enough. He had not expected another shinobi to be in attendance as they were rarely used for missions here.

He gradually expanded his awareness, straining to locate the source. Whoever this was, they were not a wizard.

No, there was another shinobi here.

* * *

If there were anything that Kakashi would take away from this mission, it would be the unyielding certainty that law and politics were worse than anything that ANBU could throw at him.

The main piece of intelligence he had picked from the proceedings so far was that their government was horribly and fatally flawed. He had gathered this in the first few minutes of discussion but he then had to suffer the rest of the drivel.

All this conflict and dysfunction at the thought of one man; it was quite extraordinary. It could be compared to Minato-sensei's effect on Iwa after the war.

Though Voldemort had only killed maybe a few hundreds and Minato-sensei had wiped out a least a thousand of Iwa's army, though it had been during a war. Voldemort sounded as if he killed selfishly.

In order to really deal with this situation, Kakashi had thought that the most powerful wizards would be in charge of the operation. It made sense to have the strongest at the top so they could use their experience to correctly handle and command those beneath them.

But no.

That was not the way it worked here.

A man called Fudge was in charge. He definitely looked old enough to have the experience necessary, but it was the wrong kind of experience. Fudge did not know what it was like to see the white of his enemy's eyes, to feel the resistance as you felt the kunai break through the layers to the heart, to hear the empty pleas for mercy.

He was a paper pusher, so having one of the most notorious killers in their history come back to cause even more havoc was not something he was prepared to deal with. This was probably why he was denying it so vehemently.

He did not have the sense of a leader about him either.

The feeling of power, of strength; that no one could stand against them and win; the feeling that welled within at the sight of them in action; wanting to follow them to the ends of the earth; to be able to walk beside them.

It was so rare for people like them to appear. Minato-sensei could invoke those feelings. Kakashi would have followed him into the jaws of the Shinigami himself if he had asked.

But he was gone.

If anyone, Kakashi would have thought Dumbledore-sama to be the man in control. Instead, he was running their academy.

Kakashi could only wonder how this system had lasted so long.

Dumbledore-sama had appeared just before the proceedings had truly started. From his explanation and Fudge's reaction, they had tried to prevent his presence at the trial. The only reason they would do that is so they would have no interference.

His deduction earlier had been right. This was no trial for illegal use of jutsu; this was an attack on the creditability of Potter. The incident just gave them the perfect excuse.

He could understand why the ministry was eager to prevent Dumbledore-sama from attending. Even his mere presence had shifted the mood of the room. The trial had commenced and they had gone over the evening in question.

Repeatedly.

There were some unfamiliar words bounced around such as 'Dementors' and 'Patronus' that he would have to research when the appropriate resources became available. It was mainly newspapers and other similar materials he had managed to procure that had provided the majority of his information regarding recent events.

This academy of theirs would be perfect for such use. He would have to find a way to segregate some time devoted to that while guarding Potter, as he did not seem the type to spend much time in the library.

But while some of the terms used were unknown, body language was universal. He followed much of the debate by watching how they moved, while assessing for any threats.

Fudge, for example, was tense and rigid, showing he was uncomfortable and indignant with the way things were proceeding. His shoulders were slightly higher than usual, marking his anger. His face was obvious, as the red shade gave away almost all this thoughts.

Fudge was not happy.

This was reflect in some of the others in the chamber, as the majority seemed to be caught between the truth that Dumbledore-sama was insisting and their loyalty to the Ministry.

Fudge almost went over the edge when Dumbledore-sama had presented the witness, and his case had properly begun to fall apart. He was losing his propaganda.

The 'squib' – they had called her – was not the most convincing of witnesses but Dumbledore-sama must have been limited with his options. The description of the incident she gave was more unique than Kakashi had ever heard before.

The happiness disappeared.

The feeling sounded familiar, as memories of the Kyūbi attack danced around the edge of his conscious. Minato-sensei had been the last one to leave him; the last light to go out in the darkness that had grown with every death.

This darkness had made him perfect for the ANBU corps; the missions assigned tore down any moral high ground left over from their genin days, the illusion that they would not have to kill anyone.

With each rank they rose through, and the higher-ranked missions they took, the fact that the tree they practiced their accuracy on would one day be another human became more real.

His generation was different to ones that would develop in the future, as they had no choice but to grow up with that reality since they were all both born and raised in wartime.

Kakashi had been unique even within his age group. Graduating as a genin at age 5, he had been a part of the battle field for just over seven years, and it felt like he had never left. There had been no time for him to dull between the end of the war and signing up for ANBU, where he could put his skills to good use.

For times such as now.

Even as Kakashi analysed the hearing itself and the wider implications, as well as comparing it to his own culture, he had been slowly pinpointing the position of the other shinobi.

He could feel those eyes on him now, but it had developed an alternating pattern over the course of the hearing, as if they were dividing their attention. Kakashi darted his eyes in a circuit of the room, narrowing his search to the group of wizards to the right of Fudge.

They were completely suppressing their chakra, so could not be using a _henge_ or genjutsu like him, so he could not sense them. It made it more arduous to locate him, but worth it when Kakashi eventually found him. He would be able to accurately identify him but would not be able to do the same with Kakashi.

The volume in the chamber decreased as Dumbledore-sama stepped closer to the line of treason, pushing at Fudge about the Dementors. They were apparently in the control of the Ministry, but Kakashi doubted that Fudge had the nerve to devise such a blatant plan; it was too confronting for a man like him.

A shill voice rang through the room, almost causing Kakashi to wince in pain at the pitch. He looked at the pink blob next to Fudge as she tried to coyly turn the tables on Dumbledore-sama. His hand unconsciously twitched towards his kunai pouch.

She reminded him of one of Minato-sensei's toads, but unlike them, she made his skin crawl. He could not determine exactly what it was, but something did not add up with her.

Something about her put him on edge.

She faded into the background as Fudge and Dumbledore-sama started up again, but he kept his eye on her for a few moments longer. He did not feel the shinobi looking at him again, as if he was doing the same.

The hearing wound down, with Dumbledore-sama cutting Fudge off at every attempt to convict Potter. At the vote, he raised his hand in favour of sending Potter back to Hogwarts.

The pink toad did not.

Dumbledore-sama dismissed the court, sweeping out the door without a glance behind him. Potter had a look caught between elation and confusion as he too rose and headed for the door. The rest of the purple cloaked figures followed suit.

Kakashi felt the same presence rest on him one more time, before it disappeared. He focused his chakra to hone in on the foreign presence, finally catching a glimpse of a cloaked figure far too elegant to blend in with the crowd.

He rapidly created a _kage bunshin_ and sent it after Potter, ensuring that it kept up the genjutsu. The original followed the other shinobi, weaving between the wizards.

The shinobi strode away from the crowds, sharply turning corner to lose his tail. Kakashi swiftly followed gaining ground with every corner. He was at only a quarter of his reserves now, with the genjutsu, _henge_ and _kage bunshin_ taking up most of his reserves. He had to do this quickly.

The cloaked shinobi sharply turned the corner, leaving Kakashi's sight for barely a few seconds. Kakashi bounded forward, cursing when he found only a purple cloak surround by dust.

He sealed the cloak into a scroll for later investigation and turned back the way he had come. That had been the remains of a _doton bunshin_. The shinobi must have had it on standby and switched with it the first chance he had, masking his escape.

This was no rookie.

Kakashi continued his way back down the stone corridor. It could have been used by any shinobi from any village. He himself and learned and copied numerous _doton_ jutsu over the years. One thought still plagued him, even as he caught up to Potter and Weasley, dismissing his _kage bunshin_.

The most common shinobi who used _doton_ jutsu were from Iwa.

* * *

 ** _Henge_** **= transformation**

 ** _M_** ** _eisaigakure no jutsu_** **= chameleon jutsu**

 ** _Kage Bunshin_** **= shadow clone**

 ** _Doton_** **= earth release**

 ** _Doton Bunshin_** **= earth clone**

 **This concludes the sixth chapter.**

 **I hope I managed to get the reactions and thoughts of Kakashi right and that you were not disappointed. I hope Kakashi's reactions to the hearing and the situation in general was okay.**

 **Please could you review about what you like and what I can improve upon.**

 **Dōmo arigatōgozaimashita**


	7. Wreck

**Rest in peace to Alan Rickman, who was an amazing actor in everything he did. He was incredible in Prince of Thieves and Die Hard, but he will always be Professor Severus Snape to me. I send my thoughts to his family.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Harry Potter; they belong to Masashi Kishimoto and J K Rowling respectively.**

 **I am making no profit from this story, it is only for entertainment.**

 **Thank you to all who reviewed, favourited and followed this story. I am ever grateful for your support.**

 **To** **yaoi puppy** **, thank you for your review and I will try to take your comments on board. I am sorry you don't like it but maybe it came across wrong. It is not that he is unable to distinguish that he is in a different culture; it is that he is comparing them. I will try to make what I am trying to put across clearer.**

 **Happy New Year to everyone and sorry I am a bit later. I got caught up with the planning writing of two other fanfics, both Naruto AU.**

 **It is finally the boggart scene that you have been waiting for and I hope I got it right. Please enjoy.**

 ***Bold = Japanese**

* * *

Chapter 7: **Wreck**

It had been a few days since the trial and Harry was still turning over the events in his head. He felt hurt that Dumbledore had basically ignored him, despite standing as his witness.

Once they had been dismissed, Mr. Weasley had appeared to guide Harry back to Grimmauld Place when he had seen his son Percy. Harry knew that things had been strained between the family; but when Percy completely blanked them, he knew it was not going to get any better.

They then had the pleasure of running into Malfoy Senior.

Harry had told Fudge about the night in the cemetery, about Lucius' true loyalties. Yet he was there in the Ministry, walking free as though nothing had changed. But since they were denying the true events of that night, he shouldn't have been surprised Lucius had managed to slither his way back in.

Though the snake reference he had jabbed at Harry was hardly subtle. The gloating expression that sometimes surfaced onto his features and the smug air about him were also proof he had not forgotten that night anymore than Harry had.

The encounter had left a horrible taste in his mouth and had stayed with him during the entire return journey.

They had eventually made it home to be greeted by the celebrating members of the household, once they had heard the verdict. Harry had gotten caught up in the whirlwind and he swore he could still hear the twins' chant of 'he got off' still ringing in his ears.

Things then settled down as Mrs. Weasley had the younger members of the household continue to clean the house. Dust was in every nook and cranny in the place and Harry could have sworn he had put some muscle on his skinny frame just from everything he had had to move around.

The days spent cleaning however were dominated by mixed emotions, as if the aftermath from the hearing wasn't enough.

He had seen less and less of Sirius as the days went on as the man seemed to spend most of his time hiding away with Buckbeak. The times he had managed to see and speak to his godfather, Sirius was quiet; as though he was retreating into his misery.

It was as if his godfather was unhappy he was going back.

When he had discussed it with Ron and Hermione, Hermione was all for this theory. She figured that Sirius wanted Harry to stay and if Harry had been expelled, they could have been outcasts together. Ron had the same viewpoint as Harry as they defended the former convict.

Harry wanted to spend far more time with his godfather, but he couldn't suppress the feeling of anticipation for the day he finally left for Hogwarts. While he was cleaning, he had developed a habit of daydreaming about when he did get back. Quidditch, the common room, even just walking from class to class.

He felt restricted and closed in by Grimmauld Place, though it did serve its purpose. To be in the open air of the Hogwarts grounds, and to walk through the high, open hallways was something Harry very much couldn't wait to return to.

He loved Sirius and didn't want to leave him so soon, but at the same time, he couldn't wait to get away.

Life in the headquarters of the main force opposing Voldemort was not as exciting as he thought it would be. They never told him anything and nothing of note really happened. When the Order had been first mentioned to him, he had thought that it would be more dangerous and thrilling.

They were against Voldemort himself. Now that He had returned the risks would have heightened. But the Order seemed to be doing nothing more than playing a game of Chinese whispers.

One other thing that had been occupying Harry's thoughts was the shinobi.

If he had been difficult to locate before the hearing, it was impossible to find him after. The only times he had caught a glimpse of the ninja had been at mealtimes, when he stood sentry at the edge of the room. He changed position daily, as if he could not use the same place twice.

During the rest of the day and at night, there was no trace of him. It was like something had happened to put him on alert. His overall behaviour and actions had not changed though.

Much like the disappointment of the lack of excitement in the Order, he had thought that a man trained from his teenage years to kill would be far more interesting.

But no.

He just stood there; silent and with a frame of granite. Harry was pretty sure the shinobi hadn't left his side since he had arrived, but he had no proof. He couldn't have gone to the Ministry though; there was no way a Muggle would've been able to get past the security.

It would be interesting to see how this mute, stern killer would adapt to the populace of Hogwarts. He had been assigned to act as a student but Harry just couldn't see him in the robes sitting through potions with Snape; or in Divination with Trelawney. He was never going to pass as a student.

It would be slightly reassuring though to see him out of his comfort zone. Just as a reminder that he was human, despite all the evidence to the contrary.

Though the shinobi himself was as interesting as paint drying, the list of questions that Harry, Ron and Hermione had about his past was only growing. Hermione had suggested researching in the library when they reached Hogwarts while Ron was all for seeing how he acted around Hogwarts itself.

Either way, it was not until they returned to the magical school that they would be able to start getting answers to their questions. Like where was he from? What kind of family would purposely raise a murderer? Why did he wear a mask? What was the deal with the red scarf?

The shinobi was an enigma sealed in a puzzle box, but that had never stopped them before.

With all these thoughts swirling round in Harry's mind, the day passed quickly and the final day in Grimmauld Place before they left for Hogwarts arrived.

Harry, Ron and the twins had been discussing the trouble the school had been having finding a new Defense against the Dark Arts teacher; a topic which had arisen when they had received their book list for the year.

Ron had also gotten a letter with his list announcing that he was one of the new Gryffindor prefects. Honestly, Harry had completely forgotten all about it with the hearing and everything, but with that reminder, something slammed into his gut.

He didn't want to think he was better than Ron and he really wanted to be happy for his best friend. But his traitorous mind kept him thinking about the fact he didn't get one. He had expected one; took it for granted that he was guaranteed one because of who he was and what he had done.

Though, now he thought about it, he had never really done anything by himself. The first, second and third year he always had both Ron and Hermione by his side, always helping him. In third year he also had had Lupin.

The fourth year, the only year that he had faced Voldemort truly alone, he failed. Voldemort returned and Cedric was killed. Still, he had done far more that Ron.

Hermione had then burst in, asking Harry about his non-existent prefect badge. He seemed surprised that Ron had got it instead of him and he could see Ron's face cloud over. Pair with the disbelief of the twins, Ron must have felt pretty offended.

Harry plastered a happy grin on his face as he congratulated his friend, while inside he hid the turmoil and resentment that was building up. The only comfort he had was that his father had not been made a prefect either.

Dumbledore had been ignoring him since the events at the final of the Triwizard Cup, so should it really have been that much of a surprise when Ron was given the prefect badge instead of him?

His scar pulsed, sending sharp pain through his skull.

Mrs. Weasley had then caught wind of the events and it was all downhill from there. While she was gushing over Ron, Harry looked at the twins, feeling sympathy. They had just been brushed aside and forgotten about when Mrs. Weasley had started talking about the family achievements.

She had then gone about arranging a party to celebrate. Somehow during this time, Harry and Ron's belongings had found themselves scattered through the entire house. Harry could have sworn he could hear the ' _cracks_ ' of apparitions throughout the retrieval of his things.

When the party had gotten into full swing later that day, harry had been shown a photo taken of the old Order. He could see the face of Neville in Alice's face and the encounter from days before appeared in his mind. He had never really thought why Neville had had to live with his gran before.

He then spotted his parents faces next to Wormtail and it had slightly overwhelmed him. He had left, climbing the stairs to the first floor landing. A strangled sob drew him towards the drawing room.

He poked his head in, and at the sight before him, the rest of his body followed. He watched the dead bodies of the Weasley family appear one after the other in front of the distraught Mrs Weasley. He started to raise his wand, walking forwards.

A black, sliver and red blurred passed him, stopping in front of Mrs Weasley, unleashing two strange objects which just passed through the boggart.

The shape of the boggart changed.

* * *

It had been a tense few days for Kakashi since the trial.

Now there was not only the threat of wizards endangering Potter but solid evidence that there was another shinobi, he had taken extra precautions. There was no way to confirm if the other shinobi was hostile or not, but there was no way Kakashi was going to take that chance.

There were no such things as coincidences and the fact that another shinobi was attending Potter's trial was no accident.

As a result, Kakashi started staying out of sight more, as usually when on a bodyguard mission; they stayed in the sight of the client as a visible safety net to assure them. This did not apply here, since they did not require visible assurance.

Why did it have to be Iwa? Of all the allied villages, it had to be one that hated his guts for not only his actions in the war but because he had been a student of the Yellow Flash. There had been no further evidence to prove it was indeed Iwa, but also none to disprove it.

They knew he was there but not his identity or village, so it was an even battleground so far.

From the memories of the _kage bunshin_ he had sent to watch over Potter while he had investigated the other shinobi, only a couple of encounters of true value had happened on their way back. They had come across a pale, blond man who was a potential danger to Potter.

He had apparently been there at the murder of Diggory but had bought his way back into the graces of the Ministry. He was one to be monitored around Potter, as he could sense the mutual hatred between them.

After that, the only other thing of note was when Potter ran into one of his academy classmates. Longbottom, he was called, which was rather a ridiculous name. Though there had been others that were just as strange.

Potter had found out about the fate of Longbottom's parents. Kakashi had not been overly impressed by the wizards thus far, but he had gained a healthy respect for the Longbottom family. They might have made good shinobi.

Potter had then returned to Grimmauld place and settled into a routine of cleaning under the command of the loud Weasley. Though she was about as subtle as an explosive tag, she knew how to handle the group of teenagers.

Though Kakashi could see that Potter was becoming restless, his features a constant mix of emotions. The trio had been becoming more curious about his origins too, and discussed researching the library in their academy for any information.

Kakashi made a mental note to search and destroy any information leading back to the Elemental Countries as soon as he had the chance.

Supplies for the academy arrived on the day before they were due to leave and Kakashi's had been left on his bed in the attic. He had had to go through the books to use the necklace to transcribe them into kanji.

Some of the titles made absolutely no sense. _The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 5; Defensive Magical Theory._

He would have to study these before his arrival so he could figure out how to replicate these with his chakra.

There were also what appeared to be uniforms laid out for him with the colours black, red and gold. As he held them up to get a better analysis, he idly wondered how much of his shinobi uniform he could wear instead of this.

It was completely and utterly impractical.

Other than the plentiful places he could conceal his weaponry, it was cumbersome and suffocating. It would _swish_ around his legs, tangling in them. He had been trained to adapt to different environments but using this as a disguise, while effective, may hinder him.

He was an exchange student. If he was going to truly blend in as one he would have to alter the true Hogwarts uniform, so others could tell that he was not native.

Finally, the supplies were strange but he could imagine how they would be useful. He picked up a twig that had been left on top of the robes. He saw the note attached and translated it.

After reading it, he scrutinised the twig more closely. This would be the 'wand' he would be 'using'.

He figured it worked something similar to Asuma's trench knives when he channeled wind chakra into them. Perhaps the wizards channeled their chakra through this to produce jutsu. So their twigs would act as a medium between them and their chakra.

The rest of the academy students received much of the same, though they already had the supplies and uniforms from their previous years.

Potter's two friends though had received something called a 'prefect's badge'. From their discussion, he theorised it was some sort of rank or position of authority, similar to a chunin.

He had spotted Harry's large grin at his friend, but he could not hide the resentment and disappointment nearly as well as he thought he could. It appeared the boy had thought he had been guaranteed one, though Kakashi couldn't figure out why.

He had almost been expelled barely two weeks before and was involved with the death of a fellow classmate. There was no way that Dumbledore-sama would compromise the integrity of the rank over favouritism. Potter seemed to think he was special.

While the loud Weasley woman was overreacting, the twins proceeded to hide Potter and Weasley's property through the household. They used a type of _shunshin_ to travel the house, though it would be impractical due to the loud _crack_ that signalled they had used it.

Things had eventually settled down and the celebration had commenced. Kakashi stayed close to the wall, in one of the shadowed corners. He had never been one for parties. Even Minato-sensei had struggled to force him into anything remotely resembling one.

He spotted Potter ascending the staircase, clutching a piece of paper. He activated a silent _shunshin_ and appeared on the first floor. He summoned his nin dogs, instructing them to keep up the security, as the loud noises and commotion could cover up any attempted attack.

A strangled sob reached his ears at the same time that Potter rushed over to one of the doorways. He entered the room with Kakashi in his shadow. At the sight before them, Kakashi shot in, putting himself between the two wizards and the dying fake Weasley.

He knew that the client would not be pleased if he were to kill any of Potter's close friends, but as the thing switched from Weasley to Weasley, all of whom he knew were healthy downstairs, he rationalised that this must be an intruder.

Though how it had managed to slip past him was for another time.

He unleashed two kunai almost immediately and his single uncovered eye widened slightly as they passed straight through.

Then the shape changed.

Kakashi took an involuntary step back as a half crushed Obito stared back. His left side was nothing but mangled bone, skin and blood and the empty eye socket seemed latched onto him. Then it spoke.

" **It was all your fault. You failed me and you failed her. You are worse than trash** "

Kakashi could feel his Sharingan ache.

It switched to Rin, looking identical to how he remembered her after the _Chidori_ has pierced her chest. Tears were flowing down her purple-striped cheeks and the hole in her chest was charred and bloody, a result of the lightening. Kakashi could feel the scarf around his neck tighten as if it would suffocate him.

" **You promised. You failed me. You killed me. You murdered me** "

Kakashi could feel the blood covering his hand, her blood, from when had struck his hand straight through her.

A choked sob rose from Kakashi's throat as he stood frozen, assaulted by his worst nightmares. It switched to his father, the day he had come to find him dead on the floor when he was six years old. Blood was in a puddle beneath his body.

" **You were not worth living for** "

Kakashi's hands started to shake and tears dropped from Obito's eye, soaking his hitai-ate. What was happening? This was so much more real than his usual nightmares.

It finally switched to Minato-sensei, when he had found him after the Kyūbi attack. He had no torso left as there was only a huge gaping hole, and his once bright yellow hair had been dyed red, though whether it was his or Kushina-nee's he didn't know.

Kakashi could feel his knees starting to fail him as he struggled to breathe. He couldn't kill it, them, again.

Suddenly he heard the word ' _riddikulus_ ' and Minato-sensei changed into a yellow teddy and it was as if a spell had been broken over Kakashi.

In reality, it had only been about 10 seconds but to the silver-haired shinobi, it had felt like eternity.

He quickly _shunshined_ catching a brief glimpse of Potter hunched over, spilling his stomach.

He reappeared in the attic and barely made it to the wash basin. He took of his hitai-ate and gloves, staring at his hand. He could still feel the blood on his hands, Rin's heart beating its last against his hand. He could still feel the transplanting of his eye.

He looked up into the mirror and saw his other eye had joined Obito's in its sorrow. He started scrubbing his hands, trying to get rid of the blood he logically knew wasn't there. No matter how much he washed his hand since he had killed Rin, he could always feel it.

He always saw their faces in his dreams, his nightmares, and they repeated the same words as that _thing_.

He collapsed to the ground, his knees finally giving way. His skin felt clammy, the normally pale skin turning ashen. He was sweating uncontrollably and felt his breath escaping his lungs.

He had never thought this would happen. That he would just be slammed with the mistakes of his past. Even now he could hear the faint voices reminding him of his mistakes.

He curled into the fetal position, his hand still wet with water. His hands were clasped over his ears and his eyes were tightly shut.

He was trapped in a living nightmare.

* * *

 ** _Shunshin_** **= teleport jutsu**

 ** _Kage Bunshin_** **= shadow clone**

 **This concludes the seventh chapter.**

 **I hope I managed to get the reactions and thoughts of Harry and Kakashi right and that you were not disappointed. I hope Kakashi's reaction to the boggart was okay. He will definitely be on the train to Hogwarts next chapter and his mission will get so much more complicated.**

 **Please could you review about what you like and what I can improve upon.**

 **Dōmo arigatōgozaimashita**


	8. Student

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Harry Potter; they belong to Masashi Kishimoto and J K Rowling respectively.**

 **I am making no profit from this story, it is only for entertainment.**

 **Thank you to all who reviewed, favourited and followed this story. I am ever grateful for your support.**

 **To** **Marz1** **Harry won't quite get nightmares, but he is definitely bothered. Thanks for the idea with the nindogs.**

 **To** **princessbinas** **nightmares are definitely going to come into play for this story.**

 **To** **Tsukimine12** **their curiousity is peaked but it won't be until later that they really get stuck in.**

 **To** **tabjoy13** **I have taken your advice for the viewpoint so I hope it works. The wizards are not quite sure how to react since it is not something they have ever had experience with.**

 **To the guest who gave the most positive and amazing review ever, THANK YOU. You have no idea how much that meant to me. So thank you.**

 **To the guest who gave a moving and exceptional review, thank you so much for understanding what I was trying to accomplish. The wizards don't really know how to deal with something like that and since they didn't trust Kakashi from the start, they prefer to leave him alone. But later they will start to get more stuck in.**

 **To** **Oilwar** **thank you for understanding exactly what I am aiming to put across. I want focus on the people and how they would react if they weren't 2D, but in our world. They are based on humans so I am trying to capture that about them.**

 **To** **Corvus corax alba** **the boggart was speaking in Japanese since that is Kakashi's native language.**

 **Thank you to everyone who reviewed, we managed to reach 37 just for this one chapter! That is the most I have ever received. I am also overwhelmed by the response to the boggart scene. I wasn't sure how it would be viewed but you guys are amazing.**

 **I am sorry for taking so long to update, but honestly I didn't know how to follow my previous chapter. It was so well received that I didn't want to disappoint you with this one. But the next should be much sooner since I have some time off coming up.**

 **Plus I managed to post my new Naruto AU story, An Emperor's Youth.**

 **So please do not fear, I will not abandon this story as it's my first and I have fallen in love with it. I hope you enjoy this chapter and thank you so much for your support.**

 ***Bold = Japanese**

* * *

Chapter 8: **Student**

Harry looked across the booth to the shinobi, trying to see any effect from last night. He could still feel his own stomach churning at the thought of the boggart.

Those people.

He hadn't understood them as they had been speaking in a different language, but the shinobi had. Now he thought about it, it had been the first time he had heard a boggart speak. It had hardly been the first time he had seen one; he had seen numerous in Professor Lupin's class two years ago. He had faced his own numerous times and had successfully driven it away.

But the shinobi's… he had never felt like that. Cedric's death had probably been the closest thing that had affected him this much even though he had known the boggart was only playing on fear. But he couldn't get the thought out of his head that it could happen, might have already happened.

Compared to those people, Cedric's death had been _clean_. That disgusted him as much as the actual images had.

It made the shinobi seem more human.

So far, in the whole month they had spent in each other's company, the shinobi had been a stone wall; a rock in the shape of a man. He barely spoke, and when he did it was clipped and rude. He could disappear and stalk and threaten with not even a whisper.

Yet his worst nightmare was the images of dying people. He was paid to end lives, but the death of people was his greatest fear. It didn't make sense.

It had taken a while for Harry to calm down, even with Sirius talking him down. He could only imagine how Mrs. Weasley had taken it. She had barely glanced at the shinobi since, but when she did; there was this kind of look in her eye.

One part pity and three parts horrified.

Ron and Hermione had formed their own theories; Ron figured it was his previous victims coming back to haunt him while Hermione was unwilling to assume anything without doing further research.

The shinobi had reappeared the next morning, all packed and dressed in what he probably thought was normal clothing since now he had to act more like a student.

All the bandages had disappeared so there were just baggy cargo pants overhanging black sandals. He wore a plain black shirt and had fingerless gloves without the metal plate. Thrown over this was a grey, hooded jumper and his black duffle bag was thrown over one shoulder.

He had kept the mask, and replaced the cloth with the metal plate with just a black strip of cloth which both covered his eye and kept back the mop of silver hair. His red scarf was in its place around his neck.

Did he have any other clothes? It seemed as though he had just taken off the bandages and metal and that was it. He was going to stand out at Hogwarts, and that was saying something considering the eccentricity of some of the staff.

Though, he was posing as a foreign student so maybe the weird clothes were a part of that.

Apart from the clothing, nothing seemed to have changed; as if last night had not bothered him in the slightest; but Harry could have sworn the shinobi's hands were moving more than usual as they fiddled with the duffle and his sleeve.

He had followed them all the way to the station and onto the train, and had sat in the furthest corner in the booth, remaining silent the entire way. He had settled his luggage in the overhang, the small duffle bag tiny compared to the hoards of bags the other students had taken.

Ron and Hermione had gone to the prefects' carriage, leaving Harry and Ginny with Neville and a strange blonde girl called Luna. Though the incident last night did not seem to have changed much, there was a feeling of tenseness coming from the silver-headed man.

Harry jolted in his seat when he heard the shinobi speak up in reply to something Neville had said. He exchanged a look with Ginny, the only other who understood his surprise.

"I am Kakashi Hatake, as you would say. I am a transfer student who will be attending your academy for the year" the shinobi answered, his lone grey eye trained on the Gryffindor.

Not much of his features could be seen, but Harry could have sworn that the shinobi was completely different than he had acted in Grimmauld Place. He could see him actually passing for an aloof, foreign student rather than a silent, surly killer.

"Academy? Is that what you call it" Neville asked, oblivious to the shock Harry was experiencing.

"Yes, Longbottom-san" the ninja replied.

"Just call me Neville. Longbottom is so, well, long. Do you call each other by your last names in… where was it?" the chubby boy asked, cheeks slightly pink with embarrassment.

"Japan, Longbottom-san. It is considered polite to call people by their last name" the shinobi continued.

The two exchanged a few more words before settling down for the train ride. Harry could not keep his gaze from the ninja. Where was the horrible bodyguard from the last month? The man capable of murder, who snuck around without a sound?

He caught a glimpse of the man's lone eye as it rested on him for but a second. There was steel hidden in the grey, as if the shinobi was warning him to keep his mouth shut.

Ah, there he was.

* * *

Kakashi had not slept at all the previous night and had remained where he had fallen, curled up to try and make himself as small as possible, as if that could offer a better defense against his mind.

Foolish, but the appearance of that _thing_ , his fears made flesh, had robbed of any rationality he had. He could only thank his long-honed instincts that he had _shunshined_ out of sight of the wizards.

The water had long since dried from his hands, the sensation of blood lessened slightly by the light of the rising sun. Somehow, it seemed like there was less to fear in the light of day, but the images remained fresh in his mind.

He stood, his hands shaking uncontrollably and his knees weak. He leant over the sink behind him, pulling down his mask and washing away the dries tears of the night before. He gripped the sides of the sink as the images resurfaced for a moment, inducing his gag reflex.

There was nothing to throw up and he rewashed his face, wiping away the fresh tears. He scrubbed his hands raw, as if trying to wash away the effects of last night.

He stood and stumbled over to the bed, sinking into the old mattress. He kept breathing through his mouth, going through the usual routine that he used after he wakes up. He loosened Rin's scarf from around his neck, which had been squeezing shut his throat.

They had been right in front of him. If he had reached out, he would have felt the blood, felt the final heartbeats. He had smelt the scent of their decaying bodies and heard the sounds of their bodies shutting down. The same as the days they had happened. His dreams had not been that vivid since they had first happened.

He heard the shuffle of small paws and looked up to see Pakkun entering the room. He didn't bother pulling up his mask. The small pug looked his friend up and down, sitting down in front of him.

" **What happened? This is worse than the aftermath of your usual nightmare** " Pakkun asked, peering up at the still clammy face of his master.

Kakashi sighed and gave a brief overview, skipping the descriptions. He looked up to see the pug with an unreadable expression.

" **That sort of explains why the boy was puking into the night. I wasn't aware the boy had such a weak stomach** " Pakkun said.

" **It was a good thing you summoned us before dealing with whatever that thing was. We covered the house for you** " he continued.

Kakashi sat up and started stripping, grabbing his casual clothes out of the duffle. He replaced his mask and pulled it back up, his face safely hidden from the world once more.

Pakkun made a good point. While he had been here over-reacting to his nightmares made flesh, the house had been vulnerable. He had been vulnerable. That was unforgivable in the middle of a long-term mission. Episodes like this could give him away at their academy.

" **Thank you Pakkun and make sure to thank the others for me when you see them. I will summon you to treat you soon** " Kakashi said.

Pakkun nodded once and prepared to travel back to his home, but before he did he spoke up.

" **It caught you by surprise. I think even an ANBU is entitled to react badly when confronted by their worst fears** "

Kakashi darted his gaze to the pug but all he saw was a small cloud of smoke that was quickly disappearing.

Kakashi lurched fully to his feet, steadier than he had been before Pakkun had come in. He had a mission to complete, a job to do. Just focus on that.

As he bustled about the room, grabbing what he needed to pack, he set his mind to his cover as a student. He had taken all the bandages and metal off, which was about as casual as it got in Konoha. He shrugged on a baggy grey jumper he had found in his bag and slung the duffle over his shoulder, fixing Rin's scarf as he stalked towards the door.

As he reached for the door handle, he saw his hand was still shaking slightly. He could still feel the churning of his stomach, the tear stains on his cheeks, the blood running over his fingers.

But he had a job to do. Just shove it away for later and continue the mission.

He left the room and descended the stairs to the kitchen where the wizards were gathering with their luggage. They turned to look at him and he caught the eye of the loud red-haired women; and hated what he saw there.

Horror and pity were dominant in her gaze, as if she thought he was the one responsible for that fate of his precious people. But there was also a hesitant question in her eyes, as if she thought maybe he was not as bad as she had previously judged. If he recalled, that _thing_ kept changing into corpses of her family.

The difference being that hers were only fears and his were reality. Her contradicting gaze annoyed Kakashi for some reason, as if he was to blame for her confusion.

His stomach dropped and a void filled his heart. If he reasoned it out, it was his fault they had all died and left him alone.

But he didn't need a snobby, loud foreigner to remind him. He fingered the kunai up his sleeve as he readjusted his grip on his duffle, making sure his weapons were in easy reach. He looked over at the Potter boy and saw the questions in his eyes.

Kakashi looked away as some boxes-on-wheels pulled up in front of the house. They were like the ones he had seen while guarding Potter on the way to the Ministry, but the three here were identical.

Kakashi had then realized that they were going to _get into_ these boxes…all of them. He checked them over for any dangers before Potter reached them, though if he were honest he did not know what he was looking for.

After they squeezed themselves and their baggage into the deathtraps, they were taken to a place again similar to one of the places Kakashi had travelled through with Potter. It was the place of the long boxes that somehow travelled on only two strips of metal. He didn't have time to have a proper look before the family paused in front of a brick wall.

Kakashi hung back as he stared, the children running through the wall one after another. A genjutsu to keep the civilians out. Simple but clever, as he deduced that there was a mechanism to it that stopped the civilians falling through it accidently.

Finally it was his turn. He jogged lightly towards the wall, stamping out the urge to flinch as he came up to the wall. He closed his eyes briefly as he felt himself moving forward. He reopened them quickly, and was met by a wall of steam.

Once it had cleared, he saw a great metal black and red beast with long boxes like he had seen earlier attached in a line behind it. He saw students getting into it and he caught up to Potter unwilling to lose him.

He went into one of the boxes, and looked for an empty smaller one to sit in. What fascination these people had for travelling in boxes, he would never fathom. All he could do was bear it until they reached the academy, where hopefully they would be able to travel by foot. Even if it was at civilian speed.

They found a box with only a young blonde girl, and they sat, Potter's two friends leaving to attend their duties. Somewhere along the way they had picked another one of Potter's friends, Longbottom-san, who he had seen at the Ministry, and the youngest Weasley.

The Longbottom kid was full of questions about him and Kakashi obliged, only giving the minimum answers. It would appear out of place if he were to completely ignore him. He felt Potter's eyes on him and he glared at the boy, threatening him to keep his mouth shut.

He was undercover, and that involved not being questioned why he was acting differently. That was the point; there was only so much he could get away with the 'new foreign student' persona.

Longbottom-san settled down and the three children spoke cordially between themselves, happy to ignore the foreigner who would have no idea what they were speaking of anyway. It suited Kakashi just fine.

The blonde girl was a bit strange, but when he had Gai always challenging him in all his green-spandexed glory he was pretty sure not much could surprise him.

When he saw Longbottom-san hand over a toad – nothing like Minato-sensei's – and bring out a strange looking plant, he decided that he could never have too much information.

"Will that cause any damage to us?" Kakashi asked, eyeing the boil-covered plant.

"Nope, it's completely safe" Longbottom announced.

Kakashi looked at the plant dubiously and began to gradually emit chakra from his _tenketsu_ ; just enough to cover himself and his clothing. He made sure that none of the occupants could sense him doing so and confirmed with his wider range sensing that no one else could in vicinity either.

His instincts were not relaying danger to him, as Neville brought up the quill to poke the plant. No, they were relaying 'take cover'. In the tiny space that was not an option, but he could still create some sort of a shield to whatever was going to happen.

Longbottom poked it and thick, stinking pus spurted out of it, the rancid smell stabbing Kakashi's sensitive nose. The chakra he had kept hovering over his clothes had taken the brunt of it, and he dropped the shield, remaining completely clean.

The other three wiped it out of their eyes and looked over at him, noticing he had managed to escape the putrid explosion. Neville wiped some more of it off his face and a confused look descended over his round features.

"How did you avoid it?"

Kakashi almost smirked as he considered his answer.

"Magic"

* * *

The rest of the train journey passed quickly with Potter's two friends turning up later.

Kakashi mostly ignore their conversations, gazing out the window as he stretched out his senses, scanning for threats. There did not seem to be anything and all of the passengers had a strange chakra signature that he could not quite place. He supposed it was their 'magic'.

He felt a touch of amusement as he remembered their faces earlier.

There had also been a moment when some green-clothed students had come in to bother the children. He had sensed them coming but they hardly registered as a threat.

The two groups had shouted at each other and exchanged insults, but beyond that there was nothing worthy of note. He and Obito used to do the same all the time. An image of that _thing_ last night flashed through his mind, and he grimaced, tightening his fists. His mask and gloves hid the effects from the others but he pushed away the thoughts.

He had enough guilt to deal with when he was sleeping; he did not need it when he was awake and on-duty.

When they had almost reached their academy, the students had changed into their uniforms. Kakashi kept his sandals and trousers, as they were black anyway and also kept on his mask and eye patch. He took off his grey jumper and replaced it with a white buttoned-up shirt with a red and gold tie.

A black v-neck jumper went over his shirt, and to complete the uniform he shrugged on the black, red and gold coat. He had altered it at Grimmauld so it now reached above his knees instead of below; this way it would not hinder his movement as much.

Even as he put it on, it reminded him of Minato-sensei and his long white and red coat. His heart clenched. He replaced Rin's scarf around his neck, feeling slightly sick as it weighed on him.

The box came to a stop at a concrete block and the children stepped out of the box, leaving behind all their bags. Kakashi looked at them strangely as he grabbed his duffle; no way in Iwa was he going to leave it behind. He stuck close to Potter, as it appeared the boy was looking for someone. As they came to the carriages, the boy looked at them shocked and Kakashi followed his gaze and was not quite sure about what he saw.

It looked as though Orochimaru had decided fusing a horse and a lizard, then starving it until it resembled a skeleton was a good idea. Logically, he knew the Snake had nothing to do with it but they were so strange and no one else was disturbing enough to consider the idea.

Apparently they were new to Potter too as he stared at them bewildered. He turned to his friends asking about them, but they had no idea what he was talking about. Kakashi and Potter could see them but why couldn't the others?

The only one who seemed to know what Potter was talking about was Lovegood, but she did not seem to be the most reliable source for information. But Kakashi knew better than to turn away a potential source of intelligence because of their quirks.

Konoha's information network was based on _Jiraiya_.

Though he would rather run to the castle he could finally see, it would look strange compared to the other students so he reluctantly climbed into the carriage, switching to carrying his bag on his lap. The bushy-haired one looked at him strangely.

"You know you are supposed to leave your bag at the station. They will move it to your room for you rather than you carrying it everywhere"

Kakashi just looked at her, his mind running through the potential security risks and hazards that would occur due to this type of system. How had they survived this long?

"I did not know, Granger-san. I am new and do not quite understand your way of doing things" Kakashi replied, using the confused new student trick to deter her.

She frowned and turned away, instead speaking with Potter and Weasley.

This was going to be a long mission.

* * *

 ** _Shunshin_** **= teleport jutsu**

 ** _Tenketsu_** **= chakra points**

 **That concludes the eighth chapter.**

 **I hope I managed to get the reactions and thoughts of Harry and Kakashi right and that you were not disappointed. Hopefully, Kakashi pulling himself together was believable.**

 **Please could you review about what you like and what I can improve upon.**

 **Dōmo arigatōgozaimashita**


	9. Hogwarts

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Harry Potter; they belong to Masashi Kishimoto and J K Rowling respectively.**

 **I am making no profit from this story, it is only for entertainment.**

 **Thank you to all who reviewed, favourited and followed this story. I am ever grateful for your support.**

 **I can only apologise for the length of time that it has taken me to update. It has been a crazy couple months and I just haven't found the time to write or plan or anything. Things should settle down now, but no matter how long it takes I will finish this story.**

 **I am officially going to the University or Dundee and should be able to stop my physiotherapy soon. So now none of that will be taking up my time.**

 **Thank you Secret Identites to** **for kicking my butt into gear and finally finding the time to write out this chapter and for the most amazing and thoughtful review ever.**

 **I have so many ideas and every review I receive goes into the story one way or another. So you guys are writing right alongside me. I doubt it would have been half as good without your contributions. So thank you.**

 **I have had a couple of reviews about the length of chapters so I will be making them longer, though I won't be able to immediately jump to massive numbers quite yet. This chapter is not so much about what happens, but about Kakashi being introduced to Hogwarts. The plot should speed up a bit now, especially when he meets Umbridge in the next chapter.**

 **So this chapter might not be the most exciting but it is definitely important.**

 **I hope you like it and are not disappointed.**

* * *

Chapter 9: **Hogwarts**

The children were still chattering as the carriage neared what Kakashi deduced was the front entrance, if the floods of students passing through the doors were any indication. He took a moment to survey the outside of the castle, constructing a mental map.

The castle was made up of mainly towers topped with cone shaped roofs and soaring archways leading to different sections. It was also easy to defend, as the rocks at its base would make it difficult for non-shinobi to climb unless they used their 'magic'. Even then, they would be seen.

Most of the windows were small making it more difficult to attack through them with projectiles and the foundations looked sturdy; they could take a few explosive tags and remain upright. There also seemed to be little sense of order about the layout, as if they haphazardly placed the different structures wherever they felt like at the time.

Though he could see basic cubes and cuboids making up the structures.

The courtyard that the carriage had entered seemed closed in, with the surrounding walls creating the feeling of being in a box despite the lack of roof.

The overall impression he got from the castle was defensible and pointy. They really had far too many of those pointy roofs.

However, there must have been a magical element protecting the castle to ward off those kinds of offensives. Like some kind of shield jutsu or something similar to Minato-sensei's seals.

Memories danced at the edge of his vision.

Summer days spent doing calligraphy with Minato-sensei; a storage seal backfiring on Obito when he sneezed and jolted the brush; Rin and her perfect chakra control making it easy for her to use to correct amount of chakra. Though his sensei had managed to impart some of his knowledge in fūinjutsu, his team was never the greatest at them though not through lack of effort.

Kakashi was proficient enough, so setting up defenses in addition to what Hogwarts already had shouldn't be difficult. He just needed to find out the jutsu they used so they would not clash.

Potter disembarked the carriage first, occasionally glancing at the skeletal horses. Kakashi followed behind him, shoving away the thoughts of his team and filing away the fūinjutsu for later, feeling the scarf around his neck tighten slightly.

They joined the sea of students, climbing the steps to pass through the highly arched threshold. Kakashi scanned his surroundings, noting the stares he had attracted with the modified uniform and the fact he was the only one with the sense to keep his equipment with him. This would aid with the persona of the strange foreign student.

He also noticed that the stares varied depending on the colour of tie they wore.

The reds kept glancing between himself and Potter, curiosity evident in their features. The yellows only allowed their eyes to stay a mere second, as if they were nervous of being caught. The blues focused merely on him, cataloguing and analysing what they saw to form a more complete picture. Those wearing the same colour of tie seemed to exhibit similar characteristics and responses.

And then there were the greens.

The moment they saw the colour of his own tie and whom he was with, they labeled him as an enemy. For a moment, it reminded Kakashi of home. It was petty compared to Konoha and Iwa but the principle was the same.

Hating others for where they come from, for what they wear; it was the way things were and always had been. Kakashi would prefer someone die from another village than his own.

He supposed that was why it would never change; it was human nature.

But it didn't mean he had to like it; he just had to do his job and protect the village his sensei had treasured, that he treasured. Home, despite the emptiness that lay there.

It was not as if the glares themselves bothered him, but something about the reasons behind them poked at his instincts. He doubted any of the reds had done anything that would warrant this level of intensity, especially Potter. The boy was hardly a threat physically though in regards to jutsu, he had not had the chance to determine his level yet.

The footsteps of the students bounced around the chamber as they approached an open set of large wooden doors. As they passed beneath, Kakashi efficiently catalogued his surroundings, ensuring there would be no immediate threats.

The room was huge, Konoha's academy seeming tiny in comparison. The ceiling seemed to go on forever, the roof being replaced by the image of the sky outside and candles floated above their heads, casting a soft orange glow on the long wooden tables that spanned the length of the room with benches to match. The candles seemed a bit extravagant and a waste of chakra, the same with the sky. They seemed to serve no defensible purpose, though the candles could be used to produce a _katon_ jutsu far more quickly.

At the far end of the hall was another long table, with separate chairs rather than a bench. It was raised slightly and one of the chairs seemed like one the Daimyo would use, rather than a sensei. Strangely, a batted black hat sat on top of a stool in front of the table.

Kakashi strode to his seat next to Potter, noting the slight discomfort of the boy at his presence. True Kakashi had avoided them when possible back at the headquarters, but the situation now required him to stay near Potter.

Taking a moment to look around, out of the corner of his uncovered eye, he saw a _thing_. Or rather, he saw right through that _thing_. It looked human but it looked as if chakra had taken shape of a man. His hand fiddled with the end of the kunai in his sleeve, the idea of trying to kill it put on hold when it started talking to students.

It seemed harmless, and reminded him of a ghost, but he would need to hunt it down later to find out what it really was; people do not come back from the dead. He could afford to leave it for now, as his cover and Potter were more important.

Not only that, but there was no assurance that his kunai would have any effect. That nightmare back at headquarters was prominent in his mind, causing him to breathe deeply, controlling his heart rate. He also could not afford to reveal his jutsu here.

He quickly scanned the top table, noting Dumbledore-sama in front of the ostentatious throne. He looked further down the line, taking careful notice of the black-robed man who looked though he was permanently smelling the Inuzuka kennels.

His gaze narrowed as he stopped on the pink lump at the table, the toad. His ears twitched at the memory of her voice. She was Ministry; what reason would their council have to get involved with education? Was there an issue with the teaching itself, or was there something more going on?

He gaze switched to Dumbledore-sama. The sensei looked straight back at him, a strange look in his eye.

The hall started to fall silent as the students looked to the back. Kakashi did the same, although he had not quite determined why yet. An instructor strode down the length of the hall, her robes fluttering behind her. She vaguely reminded Kakashi of a cat, much like the more animal based clans in Konoha.

A gaggle of small children followed her, their eyes darting around the hall as fast as their hearts were beating. They looked Genin age, but they were only starting their jutsu training now? Were these people so slack in their preparation for future battles?

They stopped in front of the stool, the sensei stopping behind it. The hall seemed to be waiting for something, those sitting near Kakashi barely breathing. Suddenly the hat started to sing.

Kakashi just stared.

An old singing hat?

They could not be serious.

It was a hat and it was singing.

Kakashi had seen some strange things in his shinobi career so far, but the singing hat pretty much took the top spot. The most prominent question that thundered through his brain was why?

What was the point? A secondary thought passed as he thought about how it was powered, but it was pushed to the back of his mind as he listened to the… hat's… words.

Was this the history of Hogwarts? Was the hat warning them of something?

The song ended and applause slowly built up. Murmuring around him informed him that this song was highly unusual for the hat, as if it were a living construct capable of its own thoughts. It had to be powered by a jutsu of some kind, but it would have to be very complex to produce this level of interaction.

The sensei at the front then proceeded to call forth students and place the hat on their heads.

It proclaimed a house for each student, leading Kakashi to wonder what qualified them for the house they were place in. Was it a certain quality they possessed?

He looked up as Dumbledore-sama stood, asking for silence.

"To our newcomers, welcome! To our old hands, welcome back! Both I allow you to tuck into a most delightful feast there is one more student to be welcomed" he said, he voice echoing in the hall.

"After the tournament last year, and the tragedy that befell Cedric Diggory, we formed solid bonds with our fellow schools. It is with this result in mind that I reached out to another school, though this time out with the continent of Europe. Japan, which is found in Asia, was willing to lend us one of their finest students for the year in order to build stronger relations between us"

Dumbledore-sama motioned Kakashi to rise. He stood, his eye flickering over the sea of faces turned towards him.

"Kakashi Hatake of _Mahōtokoro Gakuen_ , a fifth year student, will be staying with Gryffindor house for the duration of the year. Please respect his culture and privacy, and welcome him with the same enthusiasm and kindness we gave to our guests last year" Dumbledore-sama continued.

Kakashi bowed, and sat down.

'School of Magic' in his mother tongue, how original.

Dumbledore-sama clapped his hand and endless varieties of food appeared in front of them on massive platters.

"Let the feast begin!"

* * *

Harry shoveled a forkful of mashed potatoes into his mouth, half-listening to the conversation between Nick and Ron. Out of the corner of his glasses, he could see Hatake looking at the food in front of him.

The shinobi had managed to try everything Harry had picked before he had even taken a bite from his plate. The mask covering his face had not moved, though Hermione was making quite an effort to burn a hole through it.

After the initial tasting the shinobi had not eaten anything since, choosing to sit and watch the hall, occasionally answering questions when they were asked. His answered flowed, as though he really was a student at some foreign school.

Much like before, in the train, it was difficult to identify this aloof stranger to the shadow that had followed him for a month. His duffle sat at his feet, though that could be explained by the weird look he had given Hermione when she had suggested he leave it behind.

It was still strange to be so close to him, to see him interact with people. The man that Harry had built up an image of was gone, though bits of him peaked out at different moments. He was still unfriendly but that could be explained by being thrust into a foreign country and being surrounded by strangers.

Harry had no idea was to expect from Hatake anymore, but if anything this made him more curious about him. He was a murderer-for-hire, whose worst fear was dying people. He was cold and rude, but could speak and blend in as though he were not much different than them. He was strange and Harry found himself questioning whether this made him good or bad.

Right now Kakashi was just like any other student, if a little distant with a weird uniform.

Though if he kept it up, he would starve before Harry could find out if this was permanent.

Harry leaned over slightly, causing the grey eye to lock onto his own.

"The food is safe, you know. The elves prepare it in the kitchen and magic is used to transport it to the hall" he explained, hoping this would convince him.

In the corner of his eye he saw Ron looking at him the same way he had in second year, before they entered the forest to find Aragog. Harry gave him a look, agreeing to talk about it later.

He turned back to the shinobi, spotting him looking between himself and Ron. Kakashi turned back to the table, not once glancing at the food in front of him.

" _Arigatō_ , Potter-san, but I merely wished to sample your cuisine. I have had my fill but I thank you for your concern" Kakashi replied, his eyes darting back to Harry once before looking around once more.

Harry sighed and exchanged another look with Ron. He shook his head, denying his insanity at casually chatting to the murderer next to him, but what else could he do? He may have grown up in a place that forced him to kill, but could he really be a bad person?

His worst fear was dying people. That wasn't the thoughts of a cold-hearted killer. Voldemort was a real murderer; but there more time he spent around the shinobi, the less he believed the words he had hurled at him at their first meeting.

Harry happened to glance down at their arms when a potato fell from his fork to the floor. He spotted a glint from Kakashi's sleeve, his fingers fiddling with whatever was there. His gaze snapped up, the potato forgotten.

Hatake's sole eye turned to steel for a moment, as if scolding Harry for believing he could treat him as he did others, even if it was only for a moment. He may not be a bad person, but he was dangerous.

Harry turned back to his meal, glancing once more to the foreigner to his side.

The shinobi was glaring at the fork and food in front of him. He seemed to come to a decision, and completely pushed them away from him, returning to watching the hall and answering the odd question.

Harry shook his head, turning fully to talk with the other Gryffindors. He had enough problems this year without adding in a killer who seemed to have something against the school's food. He had survived the month at Grimmauld without eating a meal with them, he'll be fine now.

* * *

Kakashi sighed slightly as the academy finally finished with their meals.

The samples he had tested for poison under the guise of trying their cuisine were far too rich and slightly sickening. He would have to settle for his rations for now, until he could determine if there was anything leaner or lighter.

When Potter had spoken up about the elves, Kakashi had added another task to accomplish before the end of the academy year. Locate the kitchen and research these 'elves' they spoke of.

He had sensed Potter growing more comfortable in his presence during the meal; a stark contrast to their first meeting. Though it might prove an advantage if Potter were to start trusting him more, he couldn't afford to let the boy become too friendly.

So when the boy had dropped a potato between them, he adjusted his kunai, allowing the boy a small peek. A gentle reminder that he was not here a student but as Potter's protection.

Kakashi had stared down at the plate before him, deciding to make it clear that he was done. He pushed it away so others would not be tempted to comment, and returned to surveying the halls, doing his upmost to avoid as many questions as possible.

The masses of plates and dishes were cleared away, and Dumbledore-sama had once again stood, delivering the rules and restrictions. The pink toad had stood up after the introductions of the new _sensei_ , coughing to gain the attention of Dumbledore-sama.

Umbridge's voice was just as painful as it was at Potter's trial. For some reason, she set Kakashi on edge, though she was no physical threat and the pink attire did not allow others to take her seriously. He could sense the other students around him become on guard as well at the start of her speech.

There was just something about her that bothered Kakashi.

The speech itself was patronizingly insignificant, as if she were speaking only to attempt to lay down some sort of authority. She twisted and weaved words with precision, but an untrained ear would not be able to identify anything wrong.

From her speech, Kakashi gleaned that the Ministry were displeased with Hogwarts and had decided to try and exert some control on the situation. Though by the blank, bored faces around him, it appeared no other had seen underneath the underneath.

Except for Granger.

Once the speech had ended, Kakashi listened as she explained what Umbridge was really trying to say. Granger was intelligent, more so than her two companions. Kakashi filed away this information for later use, and grabbed his duffle, following Potter from the hall.

Many whispers and stares trailed them, but Kakashi could tell that not all were for him. Potter hunched over slightly as the murmur of the crowd passed over him, as if he could hide from those who spoke.

Kakashi followed Potter as the younger boy strode through the halls of the castle, adding each place they passed through to the map in his head, the image becoming more detailed. He took note of the animated paintings and the moving staircases, the strangeness of the wizard seeming never to cease.

Potter came to a halt in front of a large painting, the girth of the woman within taking up the entire space. As Potter mumbled about a password, Longbottom-san came running up from behind them.

"Harry, I know it! Guess what it is? I am actually going to be able to remember it for once. _Mimbulus mimbletonia_ " he announced, the door swinging open in response.

Kakashi committed the strange words to memory, remembering it was the name of the putrid plant that had burst on the way here. He entered the room, taking in the shades of red.

The overall feeling he got from the room was warm. The red colours that dominated the room, the large fireplace against one wall, the general comfortable look of the place. Kakashi eyed the seats, suspecting that he was would be smothered by the cushions.

The room was almost suffocating. While the effect was warmth, Kakashi could only think of different shades of blood that would match these colours.

The drapes over there were the colour of Minato-sensei's stomach when they had found them and the deep red over by the bookshelves was the same charred red as the hole in Rin's chest. Some reds matched Kushina-nee's hair, while others matched Obito's _Sharingan_. Some were identical to the swirls on Minato-sensei's coat.

There was even some crimson to match Rin's scarf, which constricted his throat, causing his breaths to come out shallow. All around the room he could see what he had lost in the warmth, the heat reminding him of the flames that had consumed Konoha the night of the Kyūbi attack.

Potter turned back to him.

"I'll show you where our room is going to be. We share between a bunch of us so don't expect a lot of privacy" he said, setting out towards a set of stairs.

Kakashi jolted slightly, focusing on Potter as the boy turned towards the stairs. The shinobi breathed more deeply, shoving away the thoughts. No doubt they would resurface later, but it would be at a time when he was not in the midst of a new environment.

Looking around the room, and ignoring the memories, Kakashi identified a few ideal places to hide defensive seals.

Two other boys were already in the room when Potter and Kakashi arrived. They were unpacking and as Potter went to do the same, Kakashi located the unclaimed bed and set his bag on it.

"Hi" Potter said to the boys, sounding as if he were expecting it react like an incorrectly designed seal.

"Hey, Harry" said the one who was changing.

The boy turned to Kakashi and waved.

"Hey, Kakashi, was it? I'm Dean Thomas and the guy over there is Seamus Finnegan" he said.

Kakashi bowed his head once in greeting, looking over the two boys.

"Hello, Thomas-san, Finnegan-san. Please call me Hatake" Kakashi replied.

"Hatake? Isn't that your surname?" Thomas asked, pausing in his activities to look at the shinobi.

" _Hai_ , but it is considered polite in my country to use the family names, rather than the first" Kakashi explained, watching a confused look pass over the other boy's face.

"Alright, Hakate" Thomas replied, the name coming out slightly wrong. He turned back to continue unpacking, glancing at Potter.

"Good holiday? Had to be better than Seamus from what he has been saying" Thomas said, chuckling.

"What happened, Seamus?" Longbottom-san spoke up, finishing tending to his plant.

Finnegan was silent for a few moments, fiddling with some coloured paper he was attaching to the wall. Did it serve some defensive purpose, but if so why was it so large and easily targeted? Kakashi thought, not quite understanding the function. It reminded him of flyers that were hung around the village, but why would he have something like that here?

"Me mam didn't want me to come back to Hogwarts" the boy said, his accent making it difficult for Kakashi to understand.

"It was because of you Harry. You and Dumbledore… er…well, she…"

Potter paused in his undressing, staring at the boy.

"She believes the _Daily Prophet_?" Potter exclaimed, shock obvious in his features.

Kakashi made a mental note to locate and assess this 'prophet', as the argument between the two boys escalated. There must be something about it that was causing this. From what he could understand, it was about the events that led to Diggory's death, though something about it was causing differing opinions.

Why would there be two different accounts of the same night? Potter was an eyewitness, while it seemed the other source was not so why would they believing the more inaccurate one?

Weasley-san stepped into the room, immediately supporting Potter, and threatening the other boy. There was a moment of balance after Longbottom spoke up, also taking the defense of Harry. There was a moment of balance when neither side moved, nor spoke.

Finnegan snorted and stormed from the room, the tension diffusing as he left. The mood of the room was still unpleasant as the other boys went to bed, silence suffocating any motion of speech.

After locating the bathroom, and washing his hands, trying to free himself of the wet sensation that had covered them since he had entered the red room, Kakashi shed his own clothes until he was down to only his trousers and his black shirt.

He kept on his mask and the strip of cloth covering Obito's eye. After neatly organizing his equipment he packed it away, placing a seal on the drawer he stored his belongings in, while keeping the books for the year on the bed.

He climbed into it and felt himself sink with the softness. Pulling the curtains closed around him he settled into a sitting position, grabbing the book on 'charms'. Once all the boys were asleep he would go and recce the area, but for the next hour or so he may as well begin devising ways to use his chakra to make it look as though he could do their jutsu.

He would need to start on the mental list he had been constructing tomorrow, once he had secured the castle with _fūinjutsu_.

It had certainly been an interesting day but Kakashi knew that this was just the beginning.

* * *

 ** _Katon_** **= Fire jutsu**

 ** _Mahōtokoro Gakuen_ = Japan's equivalent of Hogwarts**

 ** _Arigatō_** **= Thank you**

 ** _Sensei_** **= Teacher**

 **This concludes the ninth chapter.**

 **I hope I managed to get the reactions and thoughts of Harry and Kakashi right and that you were not disappointed. Hopefully, Kakashi pulling himself together was believable.**

 **Please could you review about what you like and what I can improve upon.**

 **Dōmo arigatōgozaimashita**


	10. Monday

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Harry Potter; they belong to Masashi Kishimoto and J K Rowling respectively.**

 **I am making no profit from this story, it is only for entertainment.**

 **Thank you to all who reviewed, favourited and followed this story. I am ever grateful for your support.**

 **So I have a reason for taking this long to update; I have made a plan for this story. Before it was really just taking each chapter as it came, but now I know what is going to happen in the next few chapters and even the ending. So please bear with me.**

 **I have so many ideas and every review I receive goes into the story one way or another. So you guys are writing right alongside me. I doubt it would have been half as good without your contributions. So thank you.**

 **To** **Elaine Weasley** **the age line revealed that he was 18 or younger so they currently think that he is around 17 or 18 at the least, rather than the 15 he actually is. They haven't had his age narrowed down.**

 **To** **Ugh** **thank you for the compliment about the story being well-written. My story might not be for everyone but thank you for your opinion.**

 **To** **Lightsbane1905** **at the moment until he gets his bearing, he will be eating from the ration pack he has when the others are not looking. This will provide him with what he needs, but he is going to start eating more from Hogwarts.**

 **Also there have been some mentions of the unknown shinobi that may or may not be at Hogwarts. I hope this chapter answers some of your questions, but the real meeting will be next chapter. Also a few questions about fight scenes, they will begin to appear when the other shinobi does.**

 **Thank you and I hope you enjoy Kakashi in Monday's classes.**

* * *

 **Chapter 10: Monday**

Kakashi looked up from his book to see the boys in the dorm finally awakening. He had made it back the hour before, finishing his night long investigation of the castle.

This place had more secluded and obscure passages than any enemy base Kakashi had seen before. There seemed to be no real thought into how the structure was built, matching his thoughts when he had first set eyes on it.

But underneath the random chaos, there was a defensive structure. The unpredictability of the castle was a weapon in itself.

There had been all sorts of odd features; moving staircases, living paintings, weird little creatures who had cringed at the sight of him. They had worn nothing but the bare minimum to cover themselves and they had been far too submissive.

All things he would need to investigate at a later date. For now he had managed to place seals in the crucial positions; though when he had come across an atrociously pink room he had discovered something that was not so much interesting as alarming.

Seals.

 _Fuinjutsu_ , exactly like he could do, what Minato- _sensei_ had taught him. They had been surveillance seals, more used to gather information than to take any kind of action, but they had been there. Which meant there was someone like himself with a mission at Hogwarts; a mission involving the toad woman.

He had left them where they were, not daring to alter them. That would just alert the other shinobi that there was someone like themselves at the academy. He did add a couple of his own _chakra_ -sensing seals, though he made sure that they were placed far enough from the office that they would not be noticed, but with enough range he could get the answers he was looking for.

Until he could locate the other shinobi, all he could do was ensure the safety of Potter.

Once the castle was secured, he returned to the dorm and added extra shielding seals around Potter's bed. Not one of the boys stirred even once at his presence travelling around the room, and once done, had changed into his altered uniform, minus the swishy cloak.

He reset the red scarf around his neck, only taking it off for the time it took to put the black sweater over his head. It rested on his shoulders, a deceptively light weight as if congratulating him for avoiding his nightmares for the night.

At least for the moment; not even shinobi could go forever without sleep.

After a breakfast of jerky and rice from his rations, he had settled himself by the window with the book _1000 Magical Herbs and Fungi_ , taking the opportunity to use his Sharingan to memorise most of the information after using the necklace to convert it into _kanji_. He was good with books even without his implanted bloodline, but he did not have the time to learn it all the traditional way.

All the students in his year had had four years of learning, and though he was an exchange student he was expected to have learned it in the school back in Japan. So he needed at least a working knowledge of the subjects in their curriculum so it would not be obvious he had never heard of things such as _flubberworm mucus_ and _fairy wings_ in his life.

He pulled down the strip of cloth as the boys dragged themselves from the too-soft beds. Kakashi had been slightly unsettled when he had sat on his the first time he had gone through his books. His futon back at his apartment was far better; the hard surface of the floor beneath the thin sheets a comforting solid to centre himself with at the end of a particularly draining mission.

Potter and Weasley fumbled through their morning routines, the boy they had been arguing with the day before bolting out the door as soon as he was decent. Kakashi rose from his place at the window, gaining a few glances from the remaining boys in the room. He crossed over to his bed and grabbed a smaller bag to put his books into.

He shrugged on the cloak and followed Potter out the dorm, lifting the strap of the bag over his head. The tan bag was simple, with just one opening for the books, but it was modified so the lining carried a number of supplies. He placed his 'wand' in, and closed it.

Potter turned around just before they reached the common room and seemed as though he was looking for something to say.

"How…how are you doing with all of this? Did you even sleep last night?" he asked, his green eyes looking into Kakashi's grey.

Kakashi raised a single eyebrow at him.

Since the train Potter had been acting differently towards him. When they had first met, Potter had been disgusted by him and his profession but now he was asking after his welfare? Or was he asking for another reason?

"It is nothing I cannot handle" Kakashi replied, reprimand subtle in his tone.

Potter looked at him for a moment, before turning back to the common room and entering, the Weasley boy shooting a look between Kakashi and his friend. The common room was much livelier than the previous night though Kakashi could sense the sluggish feeling that surrounded the students.

Granger joined the boys and they had run into the twins when Kakashi was almost poked in the shoulder. He turned to look at the student who was lowering their hand.

"Good morning, Hatake. It's Hatake, right? How are you?" Longbottom asked, fidgeting.

"Good morning and it is Hatake" Kakashi said.

The chubby looked as though he was searching for some way to continue the conversation, though Kakashi was not sure why.

"What's your school like?" Longbottom asked.

Kakashi looked at him in silence for a moment.

"Sorry if I am annoying you, but you seem nice. You are hundreds of miles from home" Longbottom continued, growing increasingly nervous from Kakashi's gaze.

"It is alright, Longbottom- _san_. It is natural to be curious. Thank you for your consideration but I must make my way to breakfast" Kakashi said, as he spotted Potter and his friend breaking away from the twins.

He kept his guard up as he passed the twins, their actions at Grimmauld at the forefront of his mind. They were far more devious than they led others to believe. However, Longbottom seemed far too nice. The boy had obviously been victimized in his past yet he reached out to others with such ease.

Their interaction though had confirmed he had succeeded in blending in with the student populace. He appeared to them as strange and an oddity, as he should as someone from a foreign place but enough of a student as to include him into their lives. They were also unsure enough to generally leave him alone.

Now he just had to maintain this for the year.

* * *

The first lesson of the day had been History of Magic and the professor looked almost the same as the _thing_ he had seen the day before at dinner. It had all the characteristics that could be used to describe a ghost, but the concept had difficulty sticking in Kakashi's logic-guided mind.

However, during his nightly patrol of the castle and even during breakfast, he had spotted many of these 'ghosts' and they had presented no threat. None of the staff has any concerns and the students regarded them as almost part of the furniture. They also could not touch anything, going straight through everything they touched.

Useless in any combat situation but with potential as a spy.

During the class, he had noted that all the students excluding Granger failed to pay any attention, the majority falling asleep. The worst that Binns seemed capable of was sending his students to sleep, but that was more due to the lack of discipline rather than any special jutsu that he possessed. Kakashi managed to get through the first part of the textbook, extracting what he needed from the never-ending lecture.

Knowledge was the best weapon that any shinobi could possess.

Once this class had finished, he followed the whines and groans of Weasley and Potter down a darker section of the castle, to the Potions classroom.

They entered the dark room and settled themselves on a desk. They appeared to be in pairs though there was enough equipment on each table for each to work by themselves. Kakashi situated himself at the back, only a table behind Potter. Here he could not only see the room clearly, but could reach Potter and the door in a matter of seconds if was something to happen.

A large boy sat himself beside Kakashi, his lip curling in disgust. Kakashi glared back, noting that though there was hostility, there were no indications that the boy would act on it. The fact he was wearing green explained the attitude. He turned back to look at the door.

A shadow swept into the room, his black robes billowing out behind him. Dark eyes scanned the room, framed by long greasy hair. Snape, the missing member of the Order. His eyes found the shinobi and lingered, his lips twisting into a sneer.

He broke into a speech about exams called O.W.L.s, shooting nasty looks at Potter and Longbottom as he did so, and announced the first assignment of the year.

For a member of Dumbledore- _sama_ 's organisation, he seemed very hostile towards Potter. It did not seem dangerous; more like vindictive, but it was something to monitor. There was history there and it was not a pleasant one.

"Today we will be mixing a potion that often comes up at Ordinary Wizarding Level: the Draught of Peace, a potion to calm anxiety and soothe agitation." Snape said, pointing out the materials that would be required to create the concoction.

The process reminded Kakashi of making poisons. Although Suna was the real expert in poisons; Konoha was proficient, Tsunade- _sama_ being their best example. Kakashi himself was no stranger to the skill, as sometimes a well-timed drink was more effective than any blade or jutsu.

Best of all, it not require their twigs so all he had to do was follow the recipe. Potions was a subject that required less magic and more precision, as all you had to do was follow the instructions. Though he would need to be wary when they required chakra to make a certain potion; he did not think his was compatible.

However, the real challenge lay in decoding what was required to make the damn thing.

Since he had made his way through the textbooks only that morning, not all of the ingredients were as foreign as they would have been. The instructions made no sense, as how would anything change by stirring it a different way, but Kakashi followed them to the letter.

Other students were not so careful. One of the fat ones had managed to set himself on fire, and Weasley had by far the worst smelling one. The putrid stench invaded Kakashi's senses, blocking out all others until the boy put a cover on his cauldron. The smell remained but it was no longer overpowering.

His sense of smell had been valuable throughout his career as a shinobi, but this was one of the few times he would not mind toning it down.

How could they get it so wrong? He did not even know about any this until this morning, having focused on charms and transfiguration since they would be the most difficult to replicate.

The boy next to him tried to stop his potion from boiling over, the strange purple colour dripping onto the table.

His own result was not what should of happened, but was very different from the other failures around the room. It was the right colour, although it was more a dull grey than silver, but it gave off no vapour. It was just like any other liquid. Judging by the variety of ways it went wrong something was supposed to happen.

Not many had managed to succeed, Potter, Weasley and Longbottom to name a few, and as Snape passed his workstation his face twisted into an ugly expression.

"Settling in, Hatake? Try not to cause any… trouble while you are attending our school" Snape said, his tone condescending as he drew out the words.

Snape spent the rest of the lesson tearing apart Potter's attempt to create the potion, with the green robed students jeering behind him. Kakashi looked at Potter, who stared at his empty cauldron with a mixture of anger and humiliation, and set his own on Snape's desk.

Potter bolted from the room, leaving his friends behind. Kakashi sped to follow, feeling Snape's eyes bore into the back of his head. No projectiles joined them so Kakashi left, catching Potter quickly.

He pulled the boy aside into an empty classroom.

"Potter _-san_ , bare your shoulder" Kakashi asked, taking a brush and ink from his bag.

"Why?" Potter snapped, placing his hand over the shoulder closest to Kakashi as if trying to protect it.

"Do it or I will." Kakashi replied, his lone grey eye glaring at the boy.

Potter stared at him for a moment, still unsure but gradually lowering his collar. Kakashi quickly painted the seal onto the back of his shoulder and pushed _chakra_ into it, the ink lighting up briefly before settling down.

He placed his supplies back into his bag and was about to head towards the door.

"What was that? And before you say something like 'for your protection' what exactly did you write? I know you can't hurt me but I should still know" Potter called out, one hand touching the seal.

Kakashi sighed and turned.

"It is a device that alerts me when poison has entered your system." he replied, watching the boy's eyes widen.

"Why would I need that?"

"I cannot keep testing everything you eat or drink." Kakashi said.

The 'new student' routine would only work for so long, and he could not successful test everything Potter had for the next ten months. He also could not keep eating such rich foods.

His usual diet was enough for a shinobi, but it consisted of lean meats, soup and rice with the occasional ramen and solider pill. Nothing as heavy as they had. He would need to find something more suitable in the massive spread that appeared at each meal.

The pair continued in silence to the Great Hall, just sitting down as Granger and Weasley joined them. As the three tucked into their meal, Kakashi nursed his water, eyes scanning the people surrounding them.

* * *

Harry watched the shinobi as the bickering of Hermione and Ron washed over him.

He wasn't eating, just had a glass of water in front of him. He couldn't recall seeing him eat at breakfast either, but he must have. He looked too thin compared to the students around him but Harry was sure that it wasn't because he barely ate.

That morning, when they had headed down to the common room the shinobi was already up and dressed by the time he and Ron had managed to get up. He wondered if the shinobi had actually slept.

If he hadn't then what had he been doing for the whole night? The thought that the shinobi had been moving around their room without waking them, had been watching him sleep unsettled him.

Not only that, but it was strange seeing the shinobi at all. Back in Grimmauld, they had rarely seen him but now he practically never left their side. Watching him interact with others was even stranger. The monotone hadn't changed, and neither had the stone-cold body language, but he had answered when Neville had spoken to him.

He still wasn't totally sure why he had asked the shinobi if he was okay, as since they met the shinobi had been either absent, rude or just silent, but Harry was sure something had changed. It might have been the boggart or when he had spoken to Neville on the train, but the shinobi was not the same inhuman statue they had met the month before.

He had also asked about the sleeping thing, but that was more to put to rest his unease at being watched during the night than for any thoughts of Hatake's well-being.

Of course, Harry had recognized the mistake with Hatake's answer. He could have almost heard the shinobi saying 'shut up and do not question me'. Ron had told him afterwards in a variety of way how idiotic he had been talking to 'him'.

It wasn't as if Hatake could hurt any of them, but it was in moments like that Harry briefly forgot his profession.

He hadn't been able to help the slight fear that had welled in him when Hatake had pulled him into the empty room. It had reminded him of when they first met, a killer draped in shadows. It had been a while since then, but occasionally Harry would catch glimpses of that man.

The man was still a murderer, even if he didn't act like it as much as he usually did.

Harry looked over at Hermione as she stopped arguing with Ron.

"So why the sudden change? You skulk about Grimmauld for a month and now you are chatting with Neville?" she asked, eyes narrowed.

Harry watched as the single grey eye watched her impassively. Chatting was not the word he would have chosen for the stilted exchange between Neville and Hatake that morning.

Though looking into his eye, he could see not reaction to what she had said. The dead, dull feeling in the grey orb did not waver, as it hadn't since they met. Harry glanced at the strip of cloth that covered his other eye and wondered, not for the first time, why it was covered.

Had he lost it or was there something wrong with it?

"I am an exchange student. I am required to build relations between our schools" the shinobi said, his voice in the same monotone it always was.

"But that is not the real reason, is it? Protecting Harry is" she replied, looking for an answer that Harry wasn't sure she would find.

"Potter-san is my guide for the year as I acclimatize to a new environment." Hatake replied.

"So you haven't managed to kill anyone yet?" Ron scoffed, putting his fork on the table.

Though Harry had been conflicted about what to think of the shinobi since the last night at Grimmauld, Ron had never wavered. Distrust and disgust were strong in his expression.

The shinobi merely glanced at the redhead before continuing to look around the room.

"You wizards do not require me to increase the body count" he suddenly said, rising from the table.

Harry froze.

What did he mean by that? Was it a reference to Cedric, to Voldemort? Why would he say something like that?

Ron and Hermione looked equally as shocked as the shinobi rose from his place at the table, looking back at Harry. He tore his gaze away from the silver-haired man and looked around, finally noting the almost empty hall.

"We're going to be late" Harry said, joining the shinobi at walking towards the class. He stood apart from him, still reeling over his words.

Were more going to die?

* * *

Kakashi stared at the crazy woman who claimed to be their professor. Since none of the students were showing concern, it had to be true but spouting nonsense about the future? This was a genuine subject?

He and the two boys sat around the circular table, the glass ball in the centre swirling with smoke. They were acting strange around him, more than usual. Weasley still had a grudge against him but Potter had recently been less suspicious, less hostile.

Kakashi figured it was due to the foreign student persona he had crafted for dealing with Hogwarts but he did not expect the boy to be affected by it, knowing as much of the truth as he did. However, now they were both acting hostile, Potter shooting confused glances at him every so often.

Kakashi placed these thoughts to the back of his mind as he listened to the two boys try to make up a dream to interpret.

"I never remember my dreams. You say one" Ron grumbled.

"You must remember one of them" Harry replied, impatience lacing his tone.

The class had been split into pairs but since there was an uneven number, Kakashi just stayed with them. They had been set the task of interpreting dream, and their group was failing at just coming up with a dream.

Weasley was useless, mentioning something about 'quidditch' – which Kakashi was pretty sure was a sport here, having heard it mentioned – and Potter was refusing to say anything of his. Potter suffered from nightmares, and Kakashi could understand wanting to keep them to himself.

The woman strode up to Kakashi, trying a bit too hard to seem whimsical; she had the weird part perfected though.

"You are from a far away land, a land of green and red" Trelawney said, her eyes bugging out behind her large round frames.

Kakashi just continued to look at her.

"It wasn't your fault you know. You have a part in the years to come, do not forsake the future in favour of the past" she said, and floated off to terrorize the next student.

Kakashi stared wide-eyed at her retreating back.

Why would she say that? Does she have access to intelligence that he was not aware of?

The class came to an end and Kakashi left through the trapdoor attaching a surveillance seal to the side of the frame on his way down. As he followed behind Potter to their final class, he adjusted the sleeve on his left arm, making sure the kunai was still secured.

He placed the scroll that matched the seal in his bag, the object resembling one of the their parchments. It recorded what was said and transcribed what the other seal had recorded.

Minato-sensei had come up with it shortly before he became Hokage. It had saved not only time and money from excess missions, but also the lives of spies who could now complete their mission far from the reaches of danger.

Kakashi could still remember Sensei hunched over his desk, mumbling nonsense under his breath as he scribbled away. Kushina-nee had made miso soup that night and had 'insisted' that Kakashi stay for dinner.

It was a long time ago.

They reached the classroom and settled themselves down, the chair in perfectly neat rows and each desk spotless. The pink toad sat at the front, daintily waiting for the last one to straggle in. At least, she was trying for dainty, but with a body such as that, it came across more as though she were bloated.

As the last student darted into the room, she smiled at them and coughed slightly, gathering their attention.

"Good Afternoon" she said, the pitch irritating Kakashi's ears as much as the first time that he had heard it.

He sighed and glared, an uneasy feeling tingling the edge of his thoughts.

* * *

 **This concludes the tenth chapter.**

 **I hope I managed to get the reactions and thoughts of Harry and Kakashi right and that you were not disappointed. Hopefully, Kakashi interacts with Hogwarts as you think he should.**

 **Please could you review about what you like and what I can improve upon.**

 **Also, a massive thank you to Aharah Musici for your review about my Japanese. I have fix the name of the school in the previous chapter and have altered my final sentence.**

 **Arigatou gozaimasu**


	11. Questions

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Harry Potter; they belong to Masashi Kishimoto and J K Rowling respectively.**

 **I am making no profit from this story, it is only for entertainment.**

 **Thank you to all those who reviewed, favorited and followed this story.**

 **I know I have a long way to go and the knowledge that people actually like what I write and want to read more is the most amazing thing ever.**

 **To** **FanatischerLeser** **I will try my best but even though they are curious, Kakashi is not exactly the most approachable person and he does not reach out to people. They will grow more comfortable though and wizards are nosy so expect lots of attempts to dig into his past.**

 **To** **CelticMonk** **I have stopped italicising the prefixes, since now you have pointed it out, I can see where you are coming from. However, I think the jutsu are going to remain italicised to give them emphasis, but thank you for the tip.**

 **To** **Moonshadowcuteness1** **thanks for the idea. Half this chapter came from it.**

 **To** **Quest** **thank you so much for your lovely review. I will try my best to write to your expectations and if you have any ideas or criticisms feel free to share them and I will try to incorporate them into the story like I have done with past reviews.**

 **To** **grandshadowseal** **the food thing should be sort of addressed this chapter, but since the dinners usually have a variety, until he goes to the kitchens at one point he will just find stuff that is passable.**

 **So it's been a while, huh? Life kind of can just creep up on you and leave you with no time for this kind of thing. Luckily I am on holidays now and have already started chapter 12, but I sincerely wanted to thank everyone for their patience and reviews. You guys are writing this story right alongside me as this story would completely different if I hadn't received your comments and ideas.**

 **I hope everyone had a brilliant Christmas and a belter of a New Year.**

 **Also, a huge thank you to** **for all the help and I would like to dedicate this chapter to them. It's not much compared to the help they have given me but I really do appreciate it.**

* * *

Chapter 11: **Questions**

The class mumbled a reply to the pink toad, the words they might have been saying becoming garbled as they spoke at different times. Kakashi did not even bother; he remained as he was, glaring.

"Tut, tut. That won't do, now, will it? One more time please, I should like you to reply 'Good afternoon, Professor Umbridge'. Good afternoon, class!" she said, her sweet tone almost causing Kakashi to gag.

Her patronizing tone made him bristle; there was just something about the way she spoke to them that made him angry. As if they were unable to comprehend her words, like infants. Kakashi had the fleeting notion that she was going to offer them sweeties and give them a sticker for being good.

"Good afternoon, Professor Umbridge," the class repeated, the dull, low tone indicating that they were also less than impressed.

"Well done! Now wands away and take out your quills and parchment. Copy the title and the aims that are on the board please," Umbridge said, tapping the board with her own stick.

Kakashi had not taken his stick out, but he pulled out the stationary that was required. The quill had a knack to using it, unlike the simple brushes back in Konoha, but it had not taken Kakashi long to master it.

He eyed the characters on the board and copied them down onto his paper, and tapped Dumbledore-sama's necklace onto it to translate. Though he could not understand the scrawl, he could still copy it; an ability necessary for fūinjutsu as an eye for detail made the difference between a successful seal and singed eyebrows.

He vaguely listened to the words of the teacher, picking out any important parts that could aid him in the future. She seemed overly fond of the words 'Ministry-approved'; and she spoke as if she was doing them a great favour by 'fixing' their education.

Kakashi glanced up from his work as he felt a pair of eyes on him. He looked to the front and saw Umbridge staring at him, as if waiting for something.

"Mr. Hatake, I really don't think all those coverings on your face are really necessary. Would you mind taking them off in class, please, so we can see your engagement with the lesson? You most certainly don't need that scarf indoors," she said, smiling sweetly at him.

Kakashi shook his head.

"I am unable to do that. Due to personal reasons I am not required to divulge, I have been granted permission to keep them," he replied, waiting for her reaction.

He had not been told outright that he had permission, but it had not been brought up during the earlier parts of the day so it had not really been an issue. Either way, he had no desire for anyone to see his face. The last ones to see him without a mask had been Minato-sensei and Kushina-nee, only days before the Kyūbi attack; they had had miso soup for dinner that night.

"Now, now, Mr. Hatake, it shouldn't be too hard, should it? You have to take it off to eat and drink and such so it shouldn't be a problem to take it off for class," Umbridge said, smiling ever so sweetly.

"Now, I suggest you comply with my instructions or I am afraid I will be forced to take action."

Kakashi stared, thoughts of a counter-attack forming in his head if she went through with it.

"I was not made aware that teachers were able to use their abilities against students," he said, watching as her eyes narrowed a fraction.

Umbridge glanced around the class, the smile never leaving her face.

"I shall have a word with the Headmaster regarding your 'reasons' but for now, everyone turn to page five and read 'Chapter One: Basics for Beginners'. There is no need to talk."

She sat behind her desk and slide her gaze across the class, hands clasped in front of her and her beady eyes sharper than her appearance would suggest. Kakashi kept his awareness open as he translated the textbook, on edge as her eyes rested on him for a moment. There was something about Umbridge; he had felt it at the Ministry and the feast.

It felt as though if he let his guard for a moment he would regret it. It was a common feeling when surrounded by shinobi, considering they were professional assassins. Among these people he had not found it in anyone other than her, although he was wary of Dumbledore-sama's power. Perhaps it was due to the fact he was surrounded by students?

Kakashi looked over at Granger, who had been sitting with her hand up since the chapter had been assigned. The majority of the class was now watching the bushy-haired girl and Umbridge decided she could no longer ignore the girl.

As the pair spoke, the discussion escalating into an argument involving the rest of the class, Kakashi watched the hands waving in the air and the blatant disregard the teacher had for her students. The students had a point; how were they meant to handle future situations if they were not equipped with practical experience in dealing with them?

The academy back in Konoha had its books and scrolls they were required to learn but the taijutsu and ninjutsu parts of the coursework with almost entirely practical. Once they were placed on a genin team at graduation, all the learning was applied; fūinjutsu and jutsu scrolls being the exceptions.

Even with the Sharingan, Kakashi never mastered the jutsus he copied without repeating them until they were second nature. That this academy was expecting their students to pass without any practical training was strange. It was as if the Ministry was trying to limit their capabilities with combat magic.

As Potter's voice rose above the rest, Kakashi noticed the boy growing increasingly angry with the teacher. What he was saying was correct, but nothing good came from correcting your superiors.

"Maybe… _Lord Voldemort_?" Potter said in a mocking tone, his green eyes now swirling with fury.

Kakashi noted the reactions from the surrounding students at the name. It seemed that there was a bit of an overreaction with one of the girls going so far to let out a small scream. He could smell the fear from the students at the name.

Umbridge looked at Potter with grim satisfaction, like she had been waiting for him to say it. She stood from her desk and faced them.

"Now let me make things quite plain. You have been told that a certain dark wizard has come back from the dead-"

"He wasn't dead!" Potter exclaimed. "But yeah, he has returned!"

Umbridge did not even turn his way as she continued her anti-Voldemort speech. Harry continued to defend himself, insisting that he was telling the truth. Kakashi furrowed his brow; Potter was an eye-witness, surely that counted for something.

"Detention, Mr. Potter!" Umbridge said, triumphantly.

Kakashi resisted the urge to put his head in his hands. Now he had to figure out a way to join the boy in detention which would take away from the time he could spend more productively. If it were any other teacher he would be content to leave Potter to his fate and put a kage bunshin on guard outside the class, but he did not think it would be wise to leave Potter alone with her.

The boy continued to argue with the teacher, becoming visibly more agitated with every exchange. Umbridge had dropped her fake smile and was now openly glowering at Potter; the tension between the two becoming thick enough to suffocate the class.

"Come here, Mr. Potter, dear," Umbridge said, her girly voice contrasting with the curled lip and furious eyes.

Potter angrily kicked his chair as he strode to the front, his fury preventing him from seeing the shocked pale faces staring at him. Kakashi merely watched, somewhat understanding the anger of the boy.

Obviously the death of Diggory had affected him and the refusal of others to listen about what had happened was not helping. Potter was struggling to deal with it; Kakashi had seen it in other shinobi before. The anger at the unfairness of it, the feeling of helplessness, lashing out at others. Everyone dealt with grief differently.

Silence coated the class with the scribbling of the teacher's quill being the only sound. She handed the pink paper to Potter.

"Take this to Professor McGonagall, dear," Umbridge said, watching with the rest of the class as Potter turned and strode out the door, slamming the door behind him.

Kakashi considered following the boy out the door but remained in his seat. It would appear strange if the new student were to leave in the middle of the lesson; however, he expanded his chakra sense, keeping a tab on Potter. The boy was in no danger in the immediate future.

The tension in the class deflated as Potter left, Umbridge plastering the fake smile from before onto her face.

"Now, if we could continue without further interruptions-"

"I do not understand the animosity towards Potter-san. Surely as an eyewitness, he would be the most reliable source as to what happened to Diggory-san," Kakashi spoke up, putting a curious expression in his visible eye.

As a foreign student, he could get away with asking questions about things the Hogwarts students would never think to ask. No better time to abuse this asset. Kakashi looked innocently at Umbridge, who had narrowed her beady eyes on him.

"Mr. Hatake, I understand as a foreign student that you might be a bit behind here but this is nothing to concern yourself with," she said, her voice calm.

"Now, please can you continue reading like the rest of class, dear. The next student to speak out without putting up their hand is going to join Mr. Potter in detention. A third will not inconvenience me greatly, but I imagine you all have homework to be completing instead."

A third? Who else had managed to annoy the toad today?

"Why are you so sure that he is lying?" he asked.

"Detention, Mr. Hatake. Not the best start to your year at Hogwarts, now is it?" Umbridge said, a gleam flashing her eyes for a mere moment.

Kakashi settled down into his seat, a blank expression on his face once more.

* * *

Dinner that evening was a somber affair for Potter and his companions. Kakashi could hear the comments the students were exchanging between themselves; a girl who thought Potter 'had always been trouble'; a boy who was gloating over the fact Potter was 'finally losing it'; another girl who had sworn she knew that 'Potter was going to snap at some point'.

Though most of the comments he picked up were mere exaggerations and derogatory slander, he could not help but approve of the speed at which the news of Potter's confrontation with Umbridge had spread. The information itself was mostly useless though.

Kakashi had managed to locate a bowl of rice in the clutter that covered the table during mealtimes. He ate slowly; grabbing bites during the rare occasions there was no one looking at him. The rest of his rations were to be saved for an emergency and he had finally determined some appropriate dishes in the splurge of colours and smells that decorated the tables at mealtimes.

However, some of the students of Hogwarts had decided that right now was the best time to satisfy their curiosity about the new oddity among them. Most had been wary of him, so he had managed to avoid most of the initial questioning that would accompany a new student, but there were some he could not avoid.

"So how are doing with everything? The classes must be pretty different than what you do at home," Longbottom said, pushing his potatoes around his plate.

Kakashi looked at the faces surrounding him.

Potter and the other two were further down the table, giving Thomas, Finnigan and Longbottom the chance to sit around him. Back in Konoha, he hadn't really needed to socialize with anyone since Minato-sensei died. He reported to the Hokage and his Captain, dodged Gai's challenges and spoke to Obito at the memorial stone and Rin at her grave. Other than that, he spent his time in solitude; either on missions or training.

He could not completely avoid talking with people here, but it would aid his cover if he spoke to those surrounding Potter.

"I am adapting well to the new environment and they are quite different," Kakashi answered.

"In what way? I mean, you guys probably don't have a Snape back in Japan but what are the differences?" Finnigan asked, meat swirling in his mouth.

"We do far more practical than theory in our academy and we have a flexible uniform," Kakashi said, noting a group of green-tied students glaring at Potter.

"Yeah, that Umbridge is a joke. How are we supposed to pass DADA this year? I need it for sixth year," Thomas said, slumping to lean on his fist.

"Plus all that pink. I heard she is obsessed with cats too. I swear the DADA teachers get weirder every year," Finnigan agreed, pouring more gravy on his dinner.

"I miss Professor Lupin," Longbottom sighed, gaining nods of agreement from the other two.

The image of a tired, scruffy man flashed through Kakashi's mind from his time with the Order.

"What did you mean by 'every year'?" Kakashi asked, the first time he had spoken without being prompted.

The three exchanged looks before settling their gazes on Kakashi.

"It's the curse. DADA has a different teacher every year 'cause something always happens to the one teaching it," Thomas said.

"First year was Quirrell, who wore a weird purple turban and tried to kill Harry. Turns out he was trying to steal from the school. Then there was Lockehart, who was useless and lost his memory. Lupin was the best one but he was forced to resign and then there was Moody, who turned out to be a Death Eater," Longbottom continued.

"All of them involved Harry somehow. Remember that serial killer that was after him in third year?" Finnigan finished, shooting a glance at the bespectacled boy further down the table.

Kakashi processed the information. Potter was a trouble magnet, it seemed. Why would they hire a shinobi this year? By the sound of it, the boy had been in danger since the first day he had stepped into this academy.

"It's not Harry's fault stuff keeps happening to him," Longbottom spoke up.

Finnigan stopped eating and frowned down at his plate.

"But he is always the one involved; even last year at the final stage only he came back alive, while holding Cedric's body. No one really knows what happened other than what Harry says, but can we really believe that?"

"Especially with everything the Ministry is saying. I mean, how does someone come back from the dead," Finnegan finished somberly.

"They don't," Kakashi said, causing the students to shoot looks at him.

People don't come back once they are gone. Death was a fact that no one could escape, not in Konoha and not here.

An awkward silence descended over the group for a few minutes. Kakashi stomped on the sudden bitterness and shoved it away, filing away the information gained to analyse another time. There was more going on than was implied on the mission briefing he was given.

"So what's it like back in your country? Do they all wear masks and those weird shoes?" Thomas asked, attempting to alleviate the atmosphere that had been created.

He deliberated for a moment about what to reveal; he could not compromise the security of his village by answering too much but topics such as footwear should not be much of an issue.

"The area I live is rather small compared to the cities you have here, and some of the population do wear sandals," Kakashi answered, grabbing a bite as the trio glanced up the hall to look at the first year that had broken his plate.

"What about the mask?" Finnigan said, bringing his attention back to the shinobi. "Are you scarred or something?"

Thomas nudged the boy's side, making a face.

"You don't have to answer that. Seamus is still learning when to shut up," Thomas said, looking at Kakashi.

Kakashi glanced up the table, spotting Granger grabbing her bag as the boys climbed out from the benches. Kakashi himself swung his own bag to his shoulder as he stood.

"Thank you for the conversation, but I must make my way to the common room," Kakashi said, bowing slightly before turning to head out the door.

As he walked he heard one last comment from Finnigan.

"When did he finish dinner? I didn't even see him eating."

* * *

Reaching the common room, Potter, Weasley and Granger sat in the seats in front of the fire. Kakashi sat at one of the desk chairs closest to the trio and pulled out his school books. The material that was taught was not especially difficult, just different. Most of it required mere memorization rather than any actual thought process.

Although most of what he would learn here would be useless, there was no such thing as too much information. It would also enforce the idea he was one of them, a student completing his homework.

He glanced towards the door of the common room as McGonagall-san came to the door. The room fell into silence as more eyes joined his own.

"Mr. Hatake? Please follow me," she said.

Kakashi gathered the books he had just placed onto the table and stuck them back into his bag. Taking the bag, he strode across to the door. He had a good idea of where he was going and if _she_ was there then it was bound to take longer than necessary.

Leaving the room, he followed behind the teacher taking the opportunity to create a _kage bunshin_ while she was not looking. The minimal smoke and immediate _henge_ into a plain student gave her no reason to glance back, and after taking his bag, the _bunshin_ entered the room behind him. While he was at this meeting his _bunshin_ could finish the homework he left in his bag, not only freeing up his time but he would still end up with the information.

It was silent between the teacher and the shinobi, with the occasional student staring as they walked past. A group for boys with blue ties openly gaped, immediately continuing with one look from the teacher. Reaching a tall gargoyle structure, McGonagall-san turned to Kakashi.

"I have been informed of the situation by the headmaster and despite my issues with your age and profession; I know Mr. Potter will be safe with you."

Kakashi felt a flicker of surprise; he had not expecting that.

"Sherbet lemons," she said as she turned back.

Kakashi tensed as he heard a scraping sound, similar to the sound of some _doton_ jutsu. The statue in front of them began to move, revealing a set of stone steps. So this was how others got into Dumbledore-sama's office.

He followed McGonagall-san into the office; the interior as obnoxious as the last time he had seen it on patrol. The room was so busy, with constant noise and strange looking furniture. It was opposite of the simple layout of Hokage-sama's office. He spotted the pink nuisance next to the large desk, and Dumbledore-sama was behind it. Both turned towards them as they entered, her beady eyes latching onto him.

"Kakashi, how are you finding your first day at Hogwarts?" smiled Dumbledore-sama, rising from his chair.

Kakashi nodded his head in a gesture of respect as he stood alert.

"It is providing valuable experience which I think will be beneficial to forming a closer relationship between our academies, and will be a strong starting point for ideal political relations."

Kakashi kept his gaze level as his eyes met the headmasters.

"Excellent. Now Professor Umbridge has expressed concerns about your uniform and we aim to resolve at soon as possible," Dumbledore-sama said.

"It is the lack of proper uniform that I have concerns with," added Umbridge snidely.

"The robe is far too short, your shoes are improper, the scarf should not be worn indoors and all the coverings on your face are extremely unnecessary," she continued.

The three faces of the teachers turned to him, silently prompting him for an explanation. He merely stared back.

"Well? Have you nothing to say for yourself for so blatantly ignoring the rules of this school?" asked Umbridge, creases lining her pudgy face in triumph.

Kakashi glanced at her before meeting the eyes of his employer. Dumbledore-sama nodded and Kakashi turned back to Umbridge.

"I adjusted the robe as it was far too bulky compared to what I wear in Japan and some students at my academy wear sandals. I believed that as a sole foreign student that allowances would be made to aid with the transition. Was I incorrect?"

Umbridge spluttered slightly at the wording.

"What about that mask and the scarf? The eyepatch?" she blurted out, glaring as Kakashi blankly gazed back.

"The climate here is much colder than Japan, and I lost my eye a few years ago," Kakashi stated flatly.

The ability to lie by telling the truth was something mastered by all who had to go on long-term undercover missions; not even shinobi could live a complete lie for years at a time.

Umbridge simmered as she looked at him. McGonagall-san stepped forward from her place beside Dumbledore-sama, barely concealing her obvious distaste for the pink woman.

"I find no fault in the explanation he has given us. As a temporary member of _my_ house, I would want him to be as comfortable as possible. Don't you agree, Dolores?"

The woman's beady eyes darted from one face to the next, resting on Kakashi's last.

"Of course, after all, we at the Ministry believe in having only the best of foreign relations. I was just concerned that young Mr. Hatake had not understood how things worked at Hogwarts."

"Now, I must go and prepare for my detention that I will be conducting, so Mr. Hatake I will see you there," she said, her smile sweet enough to rot teeth. Her eyes, however, burned like coal and she left the office with her nose up and walking in a manner Kakashi figured she thought was dainty.

After the door had closed and Kakashi had heard her footsteps fade, he altered his posture from that of a respectful student to that of a soldier in front of his commander.

"So, Kakashi, how have you found Hogwarts?" Dumbledore-sama asked, the twinkle in his eye sharpening.

Kakashi glanced at McGonagall-san before he saw Dumbledore-sama nod his head in permission.

"I have secured the castle, Dumbledore-sama, and the students are becoming accustomed to the 'foreign student' persona I have constructed. I adjusted the uniform not only to maximize my capabilities but also to reinforce the idea that I am indeed foreign, which will allow others to let down their guard with the assumption I would not have the level of understanding that they do since the workings of this country are unfamiliar to me."

"Constructed?" McGonagall-san interjected, "have all your interactions with the students been faked or scripted?"

She looked faintly disturbed by the idea.

"Minerva, let him finish," Dumbledore-sama said, as though he knew Kakashi had something else.

"There is evidence of another shinobi within the castle, as I have found their methods of surveillance. I am monitoring them so I can find the shinobi and determine whether they are a threat to my mission," Kakashi complied.

"Another one?" McGonagall-san exclaimed.

"It has not been confirmed; I have only acquired evidence that points to that conclusion."

Dumbledore-sama leaned forward, resting his head on his hands.

"Kakashi, I would like you to continue to monitor this potential threat and also continue to keep an eye on Harry. Dolores mentioned you had detention?" he said.

"Potter-san was given a detention today and I judged it unwise to leave him alone in her presence," Kakashi replied.

Dumbledore-sama seemed to nod to himself, as if confirming something.

"A wise judgment indeed. Very well, please continue to carry out your mission as you see fit. Dolores should leave you alone about your uniform for the next while after today."

Kakashi bowed to the pair and left the office, memories of his _kage bunshin_ making their way back to him. It had finished his homework and secured his bag at his bed, and Potter had left for his detention. Making his way to the tower, he ignored the stares of the paintings.

On his first night patrol of the grounds, the numerous paintings that decorated the vast halls of the school had put him on guard. He had encountered similarly animated pictures at HQ before arriving at this academy, but these were more of an issue. Back in HQ, all that were present knew of his occupation and mission however here, only select members of the faculty and the student body knew of his true intentions.

From the grumblings he heard from the frames, the paintings had been told to ignore his presence and remain silent about his activities within the castle.

He had not yet uncovered how they were able to move and emit sound, but that was a mystery for another time.

Reaching the DADA classroom, he confirmed Potter had arrived. Looking at the other student in the room, he shut down his automatic response to reach for the kunai hidden in his sleeves. Walking in, he casually took a seat right in between Potter and the other student. He glanced over, noting the green tie before glancing up into loathing brown eyes.

The eyes of a kunoichi.

* * *

 **This concludes the eleventh chapter.**

 **I hope I managed to get the reactions and thoughts of Kakashi right and that you were not disappointed. Hopefully, Kakashi interacts with the people at Hogwarts as you think he should.**

 **Please could you review about what you like and what I can improve upon.**

 **Arigatou gozaimasu**


	12. Kunoichi

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Harry Potter; they belong to Masashi Kishimoto and J K Rowling respectively.**

 **I am making no profit from this story, it is only for entertainment.**

 **Thank you to all those who reviewed, favorited and followed this story.**

 **WE HAVE MADE IT TO OVER 850 FOLLOWERS! THAT'S INCREDIBLE!**

 **Thank you so much to everyone and I hope I can keep up the good work.**

 **I know I have a long way to go and the knowledge that people actually like what I write and want to read more is the most amazing thing ever.**

 **To** **MiniKat006** **, thank you for the compliment and I hope you like this chapter. It's going to be a bumpy ride for Kakashi in the future but there won't be a pairing in this story. I don't think romance would work with what I have in mind. Since you were so lovely, I thought I would let you know.**

 **To** **ShadeofDeath746** **, I'm hoping to include Harry more in future chapters, probably starting around the formation of the DA (which is very soon). About your idea with Kakashi joining in, I love it and it gave me a great angle to play with. The plot really begins now, since much of this story so far has been set-up with hints of plot and the initial development of the characters.**

 **To** **Miq** **, I tweaked his age slightly from canon since I wanted him specifically from that time in his life but I still wanted him a bit older than the trio.**

 **To** **NatNicole** **, thank you for all your reviews and I hope you enjoy this chapter too.**

 ***Bold – Japanese**

 **I hope you enjoy this new chapter (and new-ish character) and a huge thank you to** **for all the help.**

* * *

Chapter 12: **Kunoichi**

Detention was nothing new to Harry; during his career so far at Hogwarts, he had ended up in a fair number of them. Although entering the Forbidden Forest with Hagrid and Malfoy in his first year and answering fan mail with Lockhart in his second were right up there in his list of worst punishments, Umbridge had managed to top the lot.

Hatake had arrived just after he had, and a Slytherin girl had already been seated in the classroom when he had entered the room. There wasn't anything obvious, but Harry could have sworn that the shinobi and the girl knew each other if the angry glances she was sending at him were any indication. Hatake showed no reaction, but there was a tense line in his shoulders that wasn't there when he was talking to his fellow Gryffindors at dinner.

He had noticed that the shinobi was talking with Seamus, Dean and Neville and it had surprised him slightly that, although awkward and not that talkative, he really could have passed for a student. If Harry hadn't been told about the real Hatake, he would never have expected the guy to be a killer.

It was confusing him, all these conflicting thoughts about the shinobi. He had known him for over a month now, but all he had seen was the dark killer that watched him from the shadows and the quiet student that barely spoke. He knew he shouldn't fall for the second one but even just a couple of days into the school year; he had started to doubt the first.

He had heard from Ron what had happened after he had left the class to see Professor McGonagall. Hatake believed him, and he had questioned Umbridge to the point of joining him in detention. It was weird behaviour from the quiet shinobi but it was kind of nice for someone else to believe in him, considering the whole school was practically mocking him.

Although since the detention had started, Harry had focused on one letter after the other, the burning pain in his hand worsening with each stroke of the quill. The words 'I must not tell lies' would never leave him after his, and the thought he would have to do this over and over again for the next week twisted his stomach into a knot.

He glanced over at the other two for a moment, catching a glimpse of Hatake's page filled with 'I must obey the rules'. He couldn't see the Slytherin girl's, since Hatake had sat right in between them, cutting off any interaction.

Harry looked down at his own paper, only halfway finished, watching the blood dry for a moment. His head shot up at the almost silent 'ah hem' from the pink toad. He tried to keep the pain off his face, since that would give her the satisfaction, but he couldn't help but grimace as he shifted his bleeding hand.

A shot of rage flew through his body at the sweet smirk on her face. He attempted to calm himself, failing until he felt a slight nudge on his arm. Surprise overwhelmed the anger as he looked at Hatake, the shinobi looking straight at him.

They both turned back to Umbridge as she coughed softly again, sweet smirk still in place.

"I think that will be all for today. I hope you have started to accept the flaws in your behaviours so that in the future, you are able to be the bright and behaved students that I know you can be," she said.

Harry's grip on his bag tightened at the words as he pulled it onto one shoulder, careful not to use his injured hand.

The three students left the class, the door slamming behind them as they left the classroom. They moved down the corridor, away from the toad, before reaching a junction between the common rooms.

It was definitely the worst start to the school Harry had experienced at Hogwarts so far, including the time he and Ron had driven into the Whomping Willow. He glanced at the shinobi beside him.

Hatake had just kept surprising him since the train; even going so far to stick up for him. Maybe he had been slightly unfair with him...

There was a clash of metal.

Harry felt rather than saw the movement of the other two. He tensed, hand diving into the pocket of his robes as he whipped around to face the noise. Two strange but deadly sharp knives scraped against each other as Hatake and the Slytherin locked in a standstill. Hatake's expression remained the same, though that could have been the mask. The girl's was contorted into an ugly glare.

Her black hair was tied into a bun and her face was quite plain, but the loathing on it sent a chill down Harry's spine. The air seemed... oppressive. His grip tightened on his pocketed wand. He barely registered the sting of pain originating from the raw letters on his hand.

" **Well, well, who would have thought that one of** ** _Kiiroi Senkō_** **'s brats would have ended up here? I mean, they announce your real name at a feast while you are undercover? Konoha is still far too naive** ," the girl spat.

" **You were at the Ministry that day** ," Hatake replied.

" **As were you. Really, for such a famed shinobi you are falling way below my expectations** _._ _ **Also, I have to admit my curiosity has been burning since we heard the news**_ _."_

" **Your precious Hokage died last year. Didn't get any details but tell me; did he die in agony? Like the murderer he was**?" she sneered.

Harry's eyes switched between the two, his mind swirling and his breathing quick. Was she like Hatake? Obviously an enemy if her actions were anything to go by but what was Hatake doing? What were they saying?

" **I do not think your mission involves killing me** ," Hatake replied.

" **It would be a nice bonus** ," she smiled cruelly.

There was another blur of movement and Harry lost track of them, before hearing a loud clang much closer to him. He hastily held out his wand, but faltered as he saw Hatake's back in front of him.

" **We both know that a fight between us would attract the attention of every teacher, which would not only compromise my cover but yours**. **Revenge against a Konoha** ** _nin_** **or the completion of your mission? Which one?** " Hatake's voice was even, and Harry watched as a few drops of blood hit the floor.

Harry heard the girl growl before she appeared a few metres away, weapon nowhere in sight.

" **You will not leave this school alive,** ** _Sharingan no Kakashi_**."

She turned and walked towards the dungeons.

It was not until she was out of sight that Hatake lowered his weapon and concealed it, though where Harry had no idea. The silver-haired shinobi turned to look at Harry before beckoning him to follow, as he started down the hall. It was a moment before Harry moved, stuffing his wand back into place.

"Who was she?" he asked as he hurried to catch up, trying to keep his voice casual against his still pounding heart.

Hatake merely continued walking towards the Gryffindor tower.

"Hey!"

Harry grabbed at Hatake's shoulder but he never made contact. Before he knew it, Kakashi had dodged and spun to face him. Harry flinched at the cold, dead look in the shinobi's eyes.

"She is nothing to concern yourself with. Her mission is not focused on you and neither does she have instructions to harm you nor any other student."

Hatake turned back and resumed walking. Harry jogged lightly until he was beside the shinobi, unsatisfied with his answer.

"How'd you know her mission?" he asked, his curiosity barely managing to overcome his unease.

Hatake ignored him. Harry wanted to yell in frustration; why did no one ever tell him anything?

When Kakashi and Potter got back to the red room, Potter's friends immediately came from their place in front of the fire to speak with him, the rest having gone to bed. Kakashi left them as he climbed the stairs, quickly wrapping a spare bandage around his hand as he silently changing into his casual gear, hiding more weapons on himself and pulling on a pair of fingerless gloves. He shifted Rin's scarf into its place, his fingers lingering over it for a moment.

Descending the stairs he spotted them still chatting around the doorway, Granger examining Potter's hand. Ensuring none of the children had noticed his entry into the red room; Kakashi went through the seals and summoned Pakkun, the smoke now drawing the attention of the students.

The small pug stretched out, his nose twitching.

" **Yo Kakashi, need me to watch the scrawny pup again?** " Pakkun asked.

" **Hai, I have something that needs to be taken care of tonight. I have located the shinobi that was at the trial and there is a minimal chance that she may come to use Potter as leverage.** "

The pug sighed, glancing over at the wide-eyed students.

" **Alright, I will keep him here and let you know if she turns up** ," Pakkun said.

" **I will treat you guys as soon as I get the chance and don't try to convince them to touch your paws** ," Kakashi added, before _shunshining_ out the red room.

The pug snorted indignantly before plodding over to a corner to watch the trio.

* * *

Kakashi appeared before Dumbledore-sama's desk, standing at attention.

The headmaster looked up from his desk, scanning Kakashi behind his half-moon glasses. Placing aside the papers, he clasped his hands together in front of him, smiling reassuringly.

"Kakashi, what brings you here again?" he asked with a sharp look in his eye.

"Dumbledore-sama, I have located the kunoichi here in your academy. From the intelligence I have put together from evidence found, I do not think she is here to harm the students as she has had too many opportunities; however, she will attempt to kill me which could result in collateral damage."

"Collateral damage?" the headmaster blurted.

Kakashi just nodded.

The teacher shifted in his chair.

"Do you know how she came to be here or any specifics of her mission? Why would she want to kill you?" he asked.

"I am guessing that it was a mixture of your 'magic' and Genjutsu from my country. It would explain why I was unable to locate her immediately as I have not adapted to your 'magic' yet. I cannot accurately determine her mission, as I have not uncovered enough evidence but I have my suspicions," Kakashi replied.

"Suspicions?" Dumbledore-sama inquired.

"I cannot say anything for sure, but I will update you when I have more information," Kakashi said.

He watched Dumbledore-sama process the information, Kakashi's mind briefly flashing back to the encounter with the kunoichi. She had dared to mention Minato-sensei, which told him which country she was from at least.

"And the blood lust she seems to have for you?"

"Our villages are enemies on our home continent but it will not be a problem. It will not interfere with my mission to protect Potter-san," Kakashi said.

"Alright Kakashi, I will leave this to you. Your mission is to protect Harry, with Hogwarts as a secondary objective however; may I use my influence as your client to add monitoring and containing this other ninja to your mission?" Dumbledore-sama asked.

"You are the client, Dumbledore-sama. However, according to our protocols in Konoha you should contact Hokage-sama about the specifics of the mission and if you wish to add another component, arrange it with him," Kakashi said.

Kakashi darted through the adjustments he would have to make to account for the Iwa girl. Unless informed by Sarutobi-sama, his primary objective would remain protecting Potter, which would leave him little to no time to keep a tab on her since he also had Hogwarts to patrol at night. He figured that Dumbledore-sama would not change the original mission, but would just add this problem to the growing list.

Dumbledore-sama stood as Kakashi was preparing to leave.

"Kakashi, I hired you to protect Harry, which to a lesser extent included the rest of the school. I was not made aware that your presence could increase the risk to the students rather than the opposite, and this talk earlier of collateral... you included people within its definition, not just possible damages."

Kakashi paused.

"Death is a part of my profession. However, protecting Hogwarts is my secondary mission and I will ensure no student comes to harm," he conceded, watching the headmaster sink back in his chair.

"Make sure you do, Kakashi. I will not have another death in Hogwarts this year."

Kakashi gave a quick nod of his head to the headmaster, before _shunshining_ outside to the gargoyle and heading towards the tower. He had planned to grab a few hours sleep tonight since it had been a couple of days, but with the kunoichi newly discovered he could not risk it.

As he walked through the corridor with the paintings settling down to sleep, he made a mental note to find time to treat his dogs.

* * *

Kakashi had reached the stairway leading to the red room, when he heard a faint sound from above him. He side-stepped, crouching and holding out his own kunai as the kunoichi's clanged off the stone floor.

She dropped in front of him, holding another in her right hand.

" **So** ** _copy-nin_** **, now that we have a little privacy, care to die**?" she asked, a cruel smirk hardening her features.

Kakashi stared back; observing her movements as he rapidly assessed the situation. This was too close to the red room; he had to get to a more isolated part of the castle. He stepped back, the movement catching the kunoichi's eye. He took another step, ensuring that her focus remained on him.

" **Is the oh so great** ** _Sharingan no Kakashi_** **retreating? After one little kunai**?" she said, barely holding in a chuckle. " **I expected more**."

Kakashi barely considered her implication; pride in one's power and skill was almost a requirement for shinobi, but it was more important to complete the mission. Which was at risk this close to the students.

He took another step, enticing her to follow. He glanced down, watching as her weight transferred to the balls of her feet. He was not totally aware of her abilities though he had a rough idea of the training of a standard Iwa shinobi from the war; from the clash earlier she did not seemed as skilled as himself but he was not willing to take the chance.

Both shinobi moved in synch, becoming blurs through the dark corridors. Kakashi could pick the exclamations from the paintings at their passing, but he doubted that any could have seen anything.

As he reached a deserted part of the castle he had found on one of his patrols, he turned suddenly letting loose several of his own kunai at the kunoichi. She was forced to dodge, stopping at the other end of the wide corridor, as the kunai bounced off the stone wall behind her, barely missing a painting of a short old man.

" **Decided to fight, then? It will make your death a bit more interesting at least** ," she said, crouching into a defensive position.

" **Why are you watching Umbridge**?" Kakashi merely asked.

The kunoichi's shoulder's tensed. Kakashi's mouth twitched; so that was her mission. He had had his suspicions since he had found the foreign seals around her office but now he knew for certain.

The kunoichi blurred forward, slicing her kunai across Kakashi's own. He picked up shouts of alarms from the paintings as she continued to hunt for a weakness, the sounds of clashing metal echoing up the corridor. If this went on too long, someone would see, and it would not make his mission any easier.

Kakashi kicked the hand that held her kunai, his other leg coming around to hit her ribs. She crossed her arms, letting go of the kunai but saving her hand, and took the brunt of the kick on her forearms. She used the force from the kick to get some distance, rolling across the icy stone floor, picking up dirt as she moved, making rapid hand signs as she faced Kakashi.

" _Doton: Ishi Yoroi no Ude!"_ she shouted.

Kakashi's eye narrowed as he shot forward, aiming a jab at her stomach. Although he was faster, the kunoichi had time to raise her arms. The stone bracers on her forearms took the brunt of the hit. The jolt to Kakashi's arm disrupted the wound from earlier, the words leaking red into his bandage.

He wrapped his other hand around the edge of her bracers, and pulled, knocking her off balance. She quickly released the jutsu, spinning into a roundhouse kick, which Kakashi knocked to the side with his forearm. Crumbling dirt fell to ground and Kakashi used the momentum from the kick to grab some and fling it into her eyes.

Strategies darted through Kakashi's head in an instant. Should he counter with ninjutsu? Would she retaliate with a larger and louder technique, causing the resulting aftermath of a ninjutsu battle to gain the attention of the whole school? He could either stick to taijutsu or even Genjutsu, or take the chance and end this with one jutsu. _Katon_ was off the table in such an enclosed space; Chidori was far too loud. Also, he was certain that Dumbledore-sama would not approve of her death. Subduing her otherwise would likely take time. On the other hand, the Iwa kunoichi was skilled, incorporating her _Doton_ jutsu into her taijutsu; however it was becoming obvious her taijutsu was weaker than Kakashi's.

The pair continued to trade blows, Kakashi dancing around the girl in a blur of black and silver. As he ducked below a swing and aimed for her shin, he heard the sound of footsteps bouncing towards them above the shouts of the paintings and the kunoichi's slightly ragged breathing. He disengaged as the girl was momentarily distracted by the sound and channelled chakra to his feet, cursing silently as he sprinted up the wall. The girl hesitated, obviously torn between resuming the fight and maintaining her cover but she tore down the corridor, away from the approaching figure.

Kakashi eyed the few kunai littered about the floor, briefly listening to the step to judge the distance to the walking figure. From his fingers chakra strings dropped, latching onto the kunai and hauling them up. He grabbed them and shoved them into his pouch.

He rapidly flipped through hand seals, whispering the jutsu.

" _Meisaigakure no jutsu_."

Below he spotted the potions sensei; mouth twisted into an unpleasant sneer and holding his stick in the air, chakra releasing light at the tip.

"Why is there an infernal racket at this hour?" he asked the paintings.

"There was a most terrible fight just now! Those rowdy hooligans were brandishing there strange daggers and were positively trying to take a chunk out of each other!" a painting explained, the old man inside almost bristling.

"A fight?" the sensei asked, "Did you see their faces?"

"They were mostly a blur, my dear boy; however one had a most absurd hair colour! Silver! The other young lass was a brunette. Really, this type of shenanigans should really be under control!" the old man shouted.

The sensei opened his mouth to speak but the painting continued.

"Then they had the gall to run, rather than take their punishment appropriately! One ran up the wall and the other down the corridor! " he thundered.

The sensei looked thoughtful, gazing up towards the ceiling. Kakashi remained still as the teacher's gaze passed right through him. The teacher scanned the ground, eyes resting on the disturbed mound of dust before focusing on the painting once more.

"Silver, you said?"

"Do you dare doubt me? Ask any of the others!" the painting replied. "They almost hit me with one of those weapons! Just look at the wall!"

The sensei remained silent for a moment, briefly studying the scuff mark next to the painting, before heading back the way he had come.

"Ensure that you are able to contain yourself and not tell the students. There is no reason to cause a panic," he said without looking back.

Kakashi waited for a few seconds before standing, making his way silently along the wall and cancelling the jutsu. He would need to retrieve the kunai she had thrown near the entrance of the red room.

* * *

 ** _Doton: Ishi Yoroi no Ude =_ Earth Release: Stone Bracers**

 ** _Meisaigakure no jutsu=_ Hiding with Camoflage Jutsu**

 **This concludes the twelfth chapter.**

 **Please could you review about what you like and what I can improve upon? Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated and I will always strive to improve your reading experience in any way I can.**

 **Arigatou gozaimasu**


	13. Learn

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Harry Potter; they belong to Masashi Kishimoto and J K Rowling respectively.**

 **I am making no profit from this story, it is only for entertainment.**

 **Thank you to all those who reviewed, favourited and followed this story.**

 **To** **rejabee** **, thank you for your review. I have had similar comments before but I am going to keep the Japanese words in italics, my reasoning being that although they are speaking in English the words themselves are foreign. I'd like to keep that emphasis there but I understand where you are coming from.**

 **To** **breen21kay** **, thank you so much. I feel as though I improved with every chapter and looking back at my first I cringe slightly now. I am working on the things you pointed out, especially the showing and telling. My beta always mentions it to me.**

 **To** **AinaS** **, there is a wee bit of Pakkun in this chapter but don't worry, he'll be back and interacting with the wizards more than he has so far.**

 **And to everyone else thank you so much.**

 **It's been a while, huh? My exams and deadlines kind of snuck up on me resulting in the longest time between updates I think I've had for this story. I've had quite a few peeps ask about chapter length so I'm really going to work on lengthening them starting with this one.**

 **As always a massive thank you to Secret Identities for helping me make this chapter the best it could be. The kunoichi is a collaboration between the two of us and they came up with the name and backstory. I think she is a wonderful character and credit goes to Secret Identities.**

 **I hope you all enjoy.**

 ***Bold = Japanese**

* * *

Chapter 13: **Learn**

After creeping down the stairs once Ron's snoring had reached him, Harry split his time between watching the entrance and examining his hand. He still wasn't sure why he had lied to his friends about his hand or why Hatake had left so suddenly. That Slytherin girl had obviously known Hatake and he had a suspicion that they shared the same line of work; but why had she attacked him?

Harry had thought that something had changed at Hogwarts; Hatake was no longer the silent shadow but a fellow student – if a still very silent and aloof. After speaking up for him against Umbridge, even going so far as to get detention, Harry thought that maybe the shinobi would be more willing to open up since they were on the same side. The clash with the girl, however, just reminded him how little he still knew about Hatake.

He turned his head slightly to eye the pug still settled in the corner closest to the painting. He glared at the tiny dog, the animal having already thwarted Harry's attempt to leave the common room. That was another mystery. The dog wore a strange waistcoat kind of thing, with a weird spiral, almost leaf-like symbol on the back. Wrapped around its head was a piece of cloth with a metal plate attached, the symbol matching the one Hatake wore back in Grimmauld. Excluding these, it looked like a regular pug with a dark brown snout and ears and a lighter shade for its coat. However, its eyes held some almost human in them, reminding him of an animagus; the intelligence behind its sharp gaze.

Compared to the kinds of creatures he had encountered since entering Hogwarts at eleven, the pug was muggle-like in its normality, but why did the shinobi use it? Harry struggled connecting the small animal to Hatake's character; they just didn't match.

Harry leapt out of the armchair as Hatake passed through the painting entrance. He looked the same as he had when he left earlier but Harry could have sworn that his clothing looked vaguely ruffled. The bandage around his right hand was now more red than white; his own hand still throbbing from the detention. He managed to convince Ron and Hermione he had scratched it on the way back from detention since they hadn't been able to see the words through the blood.

"What happened?" Harry blurted out, freezing as Hatake's cold glare focussed on him.

The shinobi held his gaze for a moment before turning to talk with the dog. They rapidly exchanged sounds that Harry had come to associate with Hatake; he figured it was his native language. Hatake picked up the cloak from under the dog and there was a puff of smoke, the dog gone when it dissipated.

The older boy turned to Harry, cloak firm in his grip, his eye as cold and empty as ever.

"What is this?" he asked.

"It's mine. That dog stole it off me earlier so can I get it back?" Harry said, holding his hand out.

He wanted to know what had happened after the shinobi had left but right now getting the cloak back was more important.

"That does not answer my question, Potter-san," Hatake replied.

Harry sighed heavily.

"It's a cloak left to me by my dad," he explained shortly.

"It is more than that. I have been informed that this allows you to use a camouflage jutsu," Hatake said calmly.

"By the dog? How did it find me? And I don't even know what a jutsu is," Harry fired back.

In answer, Hatake draped a part of the cloak over his bandaged hand watching it disappear. Shooting a glance at Harry, he folded it, tucking it under his arm.

"I will be taking this, so in future you will not be prone to wandering alone at night," Hatake said.

"Hey! Give that back!" Harry shouted, his eyes darting up the stairs for a moment to check no one was coming down.

"No. Now go to bed, Potter-san," the shinobi replied.

Harry watched with wide eyes as Hatake took a scroll of parchment out his pouch, a strange design on the surface. He pressed the folded cloak against the symbol and after a brief flash of light, it disappeared. Hatake tucked the rolled up parchment back into his pouch, his eye darting back up to Harry as the student remained in place.

"You can't do that! You can't just ignore every single question I ask and then take my stuff!" Harry hissed, his fists clenched and shaking. "We'll be stuck here for a year and I'm already fed up with you! Why can't you just disappear like you did at Grimmauld? Who are you? _You can't take my cloak_ ," he vented.

He fell silent after his outburst, shaking slightly. His hand was hurting more than ever, each pulse of pain matching the beat of his frantic heart. He couldn't lose the cloak, not when it was his first real connection to his father. Hatake just coolly looked at him, apparently unfazed by the anger of the wizard.

"It is late, Potter-san," Hatake simply replied, starting his way up the stairs.

"Give me my father's cloak; you have no right to take it," Harry hissed.

The shinobi paused halfway up the steps and looked back at him. His usually blank eye was now unreadable, a flicker of something appearing for a brief moment before the stone-eyed gaze returned.

"It is for your own protection," Hatake said as he resumed his ascent.

Rage seethed under Harry's skin, threatening to boil over. He was already barely sleeping because of the strange nightmares each night and combining this with the pain in his hand and the isolation he had felt since he had arrived at Hogwarts, Harry was on the brink.

He started to head to his room, frustration fuelling his stomps when Hatake spoke up from the stairwell.

"Pakkun found you by the sounds you made while walking and your scent, since he could not see you. A jutsu is my version of your spells," he said, before turning to finish climbing the stairs.

Harry stopped, staring after the dark shape as it disappeared.

* * *

The rest of the week passed quickly for Kakashi as he found a balance between his mission and his role as a student. In each of the classes he continued perfecting his imitation of their magic with chakra, although no matter how closely he followed the instructions his potions always lacked the vitality of the other students'. He figured there were some aspects of magic chakra could not imitate.

He had been waiting for the summons from Dumbledore-sama about what the painting had told Snape, but the teacher apparently remained silent. Kakashi intended to inform the headmaster once he had gathered more solid information about the situation.

Transfiguration had been one of the most taxing lessons to imitate if not overly difficult since Charms had focussed on theory for the first week. The topic had been 'Vanishing Spells' and the only way he could think of to accomplish this was an adapted version of an E-rank _genjutsu_. He could perform the hand seals rapidly beneath the table and hold off saying the jutsu aloud until he did the weird swishy thing with his twig. He would not be heard with all the chanting of 'Evanesco', and the number of jutsu going wrong should keep the attention off his desk.

" _Magen: Kokoni Arazu no Jutsu_."

The ornate cup in front of him disappeared, the object mirroring its surroundings rather than actually vanishing. However, as long as nothing touched it would be sufficient for this class. He could not hold it for long though; although he had discovered genjutsu affected these people to some degree through his usage of _henge_ at the Ministry, he would prefer to avoid using chakra in class as much as possible.

McGonagall swept past his desk, sharp eyes scanning his 'empty' desk and nodded her head, quickly moving to the front to help a student. He released the jutsu, noting the professor's eyes darting to him for a moment before continuing to focus on the Gryffindor. He settled for watching Finnigan until the end of the lesson who somehow managed to set fire to every object he attempted to vanish.

By the end of the week the classes were no trouble for Kakashi, only being required to use chakra for a limited few.

Care of Magical Creatures so far was his least favourite; the little creatures they were exposed to during the lessons took a particular dislike to him. The things looked like moving bits of weeds and whenever they had a practical session, they had developed a habit of throwing tiny bits of wood at him. The other students had found it hilarious to see the normally aloof exchange student having a glaring match with a 6-inch Bowtruckle.

He also held some distaste towards the copious amounts of homework assigned to them at the end of each lesson however it was easily completed; finishing it before the others awoke with the aid of Obito's Sharingan. His mouth had quirked up slightly at the thought of Obito's reaction if he were to have known his eye would be used to _study_. He made some time at the end of his patrols and on the days he got some sleep he woke much earlier out of habit anyway.

He knew once this mission was over he would be required to pull together a report on this culture to add to the archives for future reference, so although he would not be sitting these 'owls' the teacher's kept bringing up each lesson he still needed the information. The blank scrolls he had brought were quickly filling up.

Potter was having a lot more trouble keeping up with the work than Kakashi, the boy scrambling to throw something together at breakfast after failing to complete his work for the second day. He passed through each day in haze of exhaustion and the evening detentions were taking their toll on him. While Potter succeeded in hiding the truth from his friends, Kakashi could easily see that his wounds were only worsening each session, lacking the chance to properly heal from the one before. Though he could somewhat admire Potter for his stubbornness to remain silent during each detention.

Personally, he was only slightly hassled by the marks on his hand. He had had worse. A bandage sufficed and another scar would not make a difference, especially since he wore gloves back home, although the words she had chosen irritated him. By the third session, Potter's blood was dripping onto the floor outside the classroom after staining the sheet he had been writing on.

It was his mission to protect Potter, not coddle him; but Kakashi had taken him aside into an empty classroom and had told him to hold out his hand. Potter had hesitated before complying as Kakashi searched his memory for the scraps of medical ninjutsu Rin had taught him. He had the chakra control for it but he had always been more focussed on combat and mastering his _ninjutsu_. While she was the official medic of the team, she had insisted that he had to at least know the most basic version of the _Shōsen jutsu_ (Mystical palm technique) in case she wasn't there to help. She died a few months later.

Shoving away images of tearful brown eyes, he stilled his shaking hands and placed them over Potter's hand. He could ignore the feeling of her blood on his hands long enough to get this done. A soft green light soon shone from his palm and Potter's hand stopped bleeding, the skin moving to form angry red lines. He took his hand away and wrapped a clean bandage around his own, now in the habit of taking one to each detention.

"Why did you...?" Potter piped up as they continued on their way to the common room.

Kakashi remained quiet for a moment before answering.

"This form of punishment is closer to a form of torture than it is a tool to discipline students and I saw no reason to let you bleed all over the academy," he said.

He glanced back to see Potter turning something over in his head.

"It will not be a common occurrence; I am not here to fix your injuries. After this week is over, ensure you do not land yourself in detention again," he added curtly, heading straight to the bathroom to wash his hands when they reached the common room.

If he had smirked underneath his mask at the irritated expression displayed across her ugly features the next evening at the sight of Potter's almost healed hand, no one had to know.

They had walked the rest of the way in silence, Kakashi alert in case the kunoichi decided to spring a surprise attack. After the first night, she had been keeping her distance though he could feel her burning gaze from the green-tied table each mealtime. They had no classes together but even while forced into the same space during the detentions in the evenings, she had not spoken to him nor engaged him again.

He could tell her hatred had not lessened but she was obviously under instructions to leave him alone. It did not mean he would let his guard down around her and he had had a productive couple of days since their first meeting, finding out what he could about her.

Ishihara. Fourth year Slytherin. Kept to herself and tended to blend into the background, meaning he could not find out her first name. Not a new student but when asked about previous years they could not seem to recall anything. It was worth the endless questions from the third year Slytherin pair he had spoken to. Kakashi theorised she was employing some kind of genjutsu which drew attention away from her, probably with the help of those who placed her within this academy. Most likely applied to an object on her person much like his necklace.

He was no closer to figuring out her client but it was a start. The mission must have been vital to Iwa if she was willing to keep her distance from him, as her attitude matched her fellow shinobi that he had met since the war ended. The only thing more important to an Iwa nin than revenge on a Konoha nin was Iwa and the Tsuchikage himself. She had no qualms however conveying her disgust silently.

Weasley and the others had asked about her but Kakashi had just waved it off, coming up with the excuse that he had insulted her the first day. Potter had just narrowed his eyes at him no doubt still thinking of his cloak.

Kakashi had not figured out how it worked yet but he was reluctant to summon the cloak from the scroll to take a closer look. He knew what it meant to cherish treasures left by his parents and despite knowing it was for the good of the mission, Kakashi could not quite stomp out the flicker of guilt that lingered in his thoughts.

He had pieced together Potter's circumstances from conversations held at Grimmauld was part of the reason he had earned the name 'The Boy Who Lived'. Part of him could not help but wonder if Potter was comfortable with being reminded of his family's slaughter every time he heard the moniker.

* * *

It was Friday night, and there was a huge commotion in the common room once Potter and Kakashi had arrived after the final detention.

"Harry, I did it, I'm a Keeper!" shouted Ron as he spotted the pair of them.

As Harry went to talk to his friend Kakashi stood back watching the clamour. He vaguely remembered the pair talking about this 'keeper' thing earlier in the week at dinner, but he had not really been listening. He was not entirely sure what a 'keeper' was having been concentrating on other things. Apparently, attaining the position was a cause for celebration if the drinks and bustle were anything to go by.

He was spotted by one of the twins and the pair left the main group to stand either side of the shinobi.

"Kakashi, my lovely lad, did'ya hear the news? Our little Ronnikin's ready to come play with the big boys," the taller one said, while the other pressed a cup of... something into Kakashi's hands.

"Drink up, this is a party you know," he said.

Kakashi just looked at the drink before looking back at the twins, stepping out from between them.

"What is this?" he asked, cautiously gripping the drink.

"Butterbeer! Don't they have that where you're from?" Fred said, matching his brother's mock horror expression.

Kakashi stared at them in silence before deciding it was not worth it and he made his way to the fireplace, perching on a seat as he savoured the quietest part of the room. He sniffed the liquid in the cup and detected an overly sweet scent. Placing it on a table with a slight grimace he surveyed the room, keeping tabs on Potter.

"They are too into their sports, I find."

Kakashi turned to face Granger. She was sitting on one of the armchair cradling a half empty cup in her hands. She had not really spoken to him during the week, but then they had been that busy there was rarely an opportunity. He knew the Weasley boy was still wary of him but he was not quite sure about her.

"Sports? Like races?" he replied.

Sports were mainly activities for civilians, barring the odd race or two, since shinobi lived active lives anyway. Gai sometimes liked to do sport-like events as part of his challenges but Kakashi did not really care enough about them to want to know more.

If he really had to think of something similar to what she was describing the chunin and jounin exams came to mind, but he remained silent.

"Quidditch," she said in way of an explanation. When Kakashi failed to acknowledge her, she elaborated.

"It's a sport wizards play on brooms. The aim of the game is to score as many points as possible by putting balls through the other team's hoops. Do you have any games like that at home?"

"No, not that I know of," Kakashi admitted.

"It's the main sport in the wizarding community. Muggles have other types of games too. What kind of sports do you have?" she questioned, leaning forwards slightly.

He eyed her. She was obviously looking for more information about his background but there was no real danger in talking about this topic with her. She already knew he was a shinobi; as long as he did not mention anything regarding the village or his history it should be fine. There was no one close enough to overhear with the level of noise the others were making.

And... her eyes.

He'd never noticed before, never looked at them closely enough. At the Order's headquarters he avoided all of them; they left him alone and he repaid the favour. Right now was probably the first chance he had had to talk to Granger face-to-face.

Her eyes reminded him of someone.

"Sports and such are more of a civilian thing," he said, adjusting his scarf slightly.

Granger frowned.

"Civilians?"

"Those who do not share my profession," he elaborated, watching her reaction.

Her frown deepened; it was written across her face she was thinking about that first meeting at the headquarters. What conclusions that had drawn up about his profession. He had never bothered to tell them they were only partly right when they described him as an assassin and mercenary.

"Profession as... a shinobi?" she said slowly.

He just looked at her but he could tell that she had picked up on the proverbial eyebrow raise. He turned away to watch the twins and their friend attempt to juggle empty bottles.

"Look, I know you're not going to tell me anything and I haven't found anything in the library yet, it's just using the word 'civilians'. You make it sound like you're a soldier or..." she trailed off as Kakashi remained unmoving.

"Wait, when Moody first told the Order about you he said a list of things that you were. Soldier was in there. You're in the military?" she concluded, looking wide eyed at Kakashi.

He was slightly impressed that she managed to remember that far back and was able to use that information to draw accurate deductions. He did not give anything away though, keeping his eye blank and his posture casual.

"But the age line that the twins used, you can't be older than them so how...?" she muttered, talking to herself more than Kakashi at this point.

"Do not concern yourself with my age nor my occupation, although I suppose telling you this is futile. You seem to be coming to your own conclusions without my input," he said, jolting her out of her line of thinking.

"So the people you've... were they-" she stammered, cutting off as Kakashi abruptly stood and strode towards the stairs, the end of his scarf trailing through the air behind him.

He could hear Potter cross over to her but blocked it out, climbing the stairs two at a time and reaching the bathroom. Locking the door behind him he leaned against it, trying to control the shaking in his hands and his breath coming in gasps.

Her eyes.

Her brown eyes that looked at him with so many questions, trying to understand him, trying to sate the curious nature that demanded to know. Eyes that held intelligence and kindness in equal measure.

Rin.

Back when his team was first formed, Rin had the same eyes.

But she wasn't Rin. Rin was gone.

Because of him. Because he broke his promise. Because he killed her.

He crossed over to the sink as he washed his hands, the stain of her blood staying with him, the beat of her weakening heartbeat pulsing through his hand. He tore the bandage off his hand and the words cut into his skin began to weep, mixing blood with the water. It only made him scrub harder, trying to wash Rin's blood from him.

He felt dampness around Obito's Sharingan and he shoved the fabric up, trying to control his breathing, and looked up into the deep red iris, watching the tears fall.

* * *

 _Ishida Rinri hid her white-knuckled hands beneath the table, food forgotten as she glared at the silver head two tables over. The Konoha scum was sitting quietly beside the Potter kid, taunting her as he nodded to whatever the porky kid in front of him said._

 _At the hearing in the Ministry, she hadn't been able to tell who it was nor their village; only that another shinobi had been present. However, when she had heard his name at the feast it had taken all of her training not to take out the bastard right then and there. She had attracted a few looks from her classmates at the speed her head had snapped to look at the scum, before she had managed to act calm enough they lost interest. Rage still flickered beneath her skin and simmered through the night and the next day._

 _She had managed to get detention with the target although it hadn't exactly been difficult. However, when she had seen the scum walk into the classroom she tried to convey as much of the loathing she felt for him through her glare, mindful of the target hovering at the front of the classroom. Rinri had watched as the scum had strolled in and sat beside her, as if she were just a regular student. When his eye had met hers, she had stifled the killing intent that had tried to leak out as she saw a flicker of recognition in his eye before it steeled over._

 _The rest of the detention crawled by, Rinri's attention split between the shinobi beside her and Umbridge. Her initial intention with landing in detention had been so she could observe the target in a more private session; to optimise her intel gathering in the future. The scum beside that derailed those plans as she struggled to focus on her original goal, barely noticing the scratches forming on her hand. She lifted her head to look at the target at the sound of a dainty cough._

 _"_ _I think that will be all for today. I hope you have started to accept the flaws in your behaviours so that in the future, you are able to be the bright and behaved students that I know you can be," Umbridge said._

 _Rinri rolled her eyes as she turned away, exiting the room with the two boys. Waiting until they were a safe distance away from the classroom she slipped the kunai secured in her sleeve into her hand and struck, aiming for his jugular. The scum countered her; the pair locked in a stand still._

 _As she revealed she knew exactly who was, she felt irritation mix with the already present rage. He just stared back at her with the blank, grey eye. No matter what she said to him he always answered with a measured response._

 _She tried once more to slice his neck but he countered every blow with apparent ease, making sure to keep his body between her and the Potter boy. She darted her eyes to their bleeding hands._

 _"_ ** _We both know that a fight between us would attract the attention of every teacher, which would not only compromise my cover but yours_** _._ ** _Revenge against a Konoha nin or the completion of your mission? Which one?_** _" he said evenly._

 _She tightened her grip on her kunai. She couldn't afford to screw up this mission; the mission pay would go such a long way in helping her village recover from the war. She wasn't even supposed to be on the mission since her employers had asked for one of Iwa's best. Rinri was just a chunin, but Tsuchikage-sama couldn't afford to send any of the jounin. So here she was._

 _She growled at the Konoha scum before jumping back, hiding her kunai back in her sleeve._

 _"_ ** _You will not leave this school alive, Sharingan no Kakashi_** _," she warned, turning and stalking towards the dungeons._

 _Everyone was in bed at this time of night as Rinri silently made her way to her bed. As she took out and put her bag with her kunoichi uniform and spare weapons and placed it on her bed, she opened it and spotted her hitae-ate, the surface dulled for stealth. She paused before reaching and pulling out her uniform. Dressed in a red one-sleeved shirt and red trousers, she secured the deep red sash which hung around her right leg and checked her bun was secure._

 _Monitoring the sounds of her sleeping dorm mates, she crept back out the room. Making her way to the Gryffindor common room she attached herself to the ceiling, waiting for the return of the copy-nin. The mission was the top priority, but as a kunoichi of Iwagakure she couldn't let someone on the Kiiroi Senkō's team roam freely._

 _After the initial attack, the scum retreated causing her to chuckle. After all the hype about the infamous Sharingan no Kakashi, she was expecting more. She followed him through the empty hallways. Rinri knew he was slightly faster than her from earlier but she had a few tricks up her sleeve._

 _Suddenly the Konoha scum finally started fighting back, releasing a volley of kunai in her direction. She dodged, stopping a short distance from him. As he asked about her mission, her shoulders tensed. She hadn't expected him to know what she was doing here. Although it wouldn't matter once he was dead._

 _Blurring forward she engaged him, crossing her arms as he levelled a kick at her. Using the force from the kick she rapidly performed hand seals, bringing her now fortified hand up to block the scum's jab. She released the jutsu as he used the edge of the bracers to fling her across the corridor. Annoyance coloured her features as he used the remains of her own jutsu to distract her. They reengaged with taijutsu; it was becoming obvious that she couldn't beat him hand to hand. Anger fuelled her movements and her breath became ragged; the scum was barely breathing any harder than earlier and there was no way to stop the wave of frustration that rolled over her._

 _She hesitated in her next blow as she heard footsteps coming towards them. It gave the copy-nin time to run up the wall, out of sight. Rinri stood frozen for a moment, caught between chasing after him and protecting her cover. An image of Tsuchikage-sama stressing the importance of the mission flashed in her mind and she turned back up the corridor, heading straight for the dungeons._

Looking down at her mission report, Rinri stared at the collection of Hatake sketches; each depicted a different method of his death by her hand. Rants and curses were sprawled across the page, bordering the gruesome doodles and she was almost surprised at herself at how creative she could get with her insults. Groaning, she crumpled the paper launching it towards the pile of abused papers starting to pile up. She grabbed a fresh sheet, trying to put the Konoha scum out of her mind.

Once the finalised report had been sent, she collected the pile of failed reports and threw them one by one into the main fireplace, the common room empty around her. She watched each sheet blacken and disintegrate, wishing vehemently that she could do the same to the real thing.

The day after her encounter with the scum, she was contacted by employers and was informed that under no circumstances was she to engage the _copy-nin_ again. Rinri was still trying to figure out how they could have found out so quickly but nonetheless the order grated on her nerves. She couldn't blow this mission so she had to listen. It didn't make the detentions any easier.

She had managed to keep her thoughts to herself around her classmates. She was just Ishihara Rin here, a fourth year Slytherin who was a bit quiet and kept to herself. Her mouth had quirked up at the thought of her friends back home and their would-be shock at her composure, if they could see her now.

Rinri was well known among her fellow shinobi as someone who acted first, thought about it later. One of their favourite things to pick on was that she was the opposite of her name; the kanji in 'Rinri' combined could be read as 'cold logic' or 'dignified reason'. When they had heard she was the one chosen for an infiltration mission of this length, they had done little but tell her over and over not to lose her temper while undercover; much to her constant annoyance. It had only gotten worse when she used a _doton_ _jutsu_ to try and shut them up.

However, Rinri had gone through the whole week without trying to end the _copy-nin_ ; something she doubted her friends would've been able to do. Part of her wanted her friends to see her now, to try and tease her for her name now. What could be more like 'cold reasoning' than placing the mission above the death of one the most hated shinobi Iwa had in the bingo book?

However, the orders from her employers didn't stop her from trying to burn a hole through him with her glare each mealtime; and if she released her anger in the security of the Forbidden Forest, decimating a clearing, who was anyone to know?

* * *

 **This concludes the thirteenth chapter.**

 ** _Magen: Kokoni Arazu no Jutsu_ – Demonic Illusion: False Surroundings**

 **Please could you review about what you like and what I can improve upon? Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated and I will always strive to improve your reading experience in any way I can.**

 **Arigatou gozaimasu**


	14. Bare

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Harry Potter; they belong to Masashi Kishimoto and J K Rowling respectively.**

 **I am making no profit from this story, it is only for entertainment.**

 **Thank you to all those who reviewed, favourited and followed this story.**

 **So it's been a while and all I can really say about that is life. Life happened.**

 **I hope you all enjoy.**

 ***Bold = Japanese**

* * *

Chapter 14: **Bare**

Harry crept down into the common room with Ron yawning behind him. Hermione wanted to talk to them about something she had found out about Hatake and he'd agreed it'd be a good idea to pool what they had gathered about the stoic shinobi so far. The early hours of the morning were the perfect time, as Hakate was off doing Merlin knows what.

It wasn't like Harry had been sleeping anyway. Strange nightmares continued to plague him, much like they had at Grimmauld. He spotted the brunette by the fire place and crossed over to sit beside her, Ron slumping into the armchair nearby.

"Do we really have to do this tonight? We got Quidditch tomorrow," Ron whined.

"Yes, it had to be now. You would find an excuse no matter what night it was so we might as well get it over with," Hermione replied.

"Alright, so who wants to go first?" she continued, looking between the pair.

"There's another one in the castle. She was a Slytherin in detention with us this week, but the first day she attacked Hatake with the same kind of knives that he has," Harry said, watching the other two jolt in their seats.

"Bloody hell, another one?" Ron frowned.

"She attacked him?" Hermione repeated. "Wait, the first day? Why didn't you tell us then?"

"It's been a long week," Harry said weakly, avoiding the piercing gazes of his friends. "Anyway, they were talking in that weird language Hatake uses when the dog is around so I didn't understand anything, but she was definitely angry with him. After we got back from that detention, he left again and the dog watched me from the corner. The same night Hatake stole my cloak."

"The invisibility cloak? He's got it?" Ron burst out. "He can't just take your dad's cloak."

"Yeah, probably to make sure I don't go 'wandering off'," Harry scoffed. "He put it in a piece of parchment, though I have no idea how, then the dog disappeared in a puff of smoke."

Hermione was silent for a moment with a thoughtful look across her features.

"On the dog's back, there was a strange symbol that I swear I've seen somewhere before," Harry continued. "He also said that he uses 'jutsus' instead of magic."

He looked towards Hermione, hoping she could make something out of what he had discovered.

"Can you draw the symbol?" she finally asked, pushing a piece of parchment at him.

Harry nodded and drew out the strange leafy thing before hesitating. He then pulled down the collar of his shirt, exposing the mark Hatake had put on his shoulder.

"He put this on me this week too, saying it would help with poisons or something," he said, shrinking back slightly as Hermione loomed over him.

She copied it down onto the parchment, muttering under her breath slightly.

"You know what I've noticed?" Ron piped up, gaining a look from the other two. "He always gets his homework done," he stated, earning a glare from Hermione.

"Wait 'Mione, think about it. He and Harry both are at detention until late at night and Harry either does it at breakfast or walks around like an inferi from finishing it at night. Hatake does neither," he explained.

" _Inferus_ , Ron. Inferi is plural-," Hermione cut in.

"So when does he do it?" Ron continued, as if the brunette had not spoken.

"' _How_ ' is another question," Hermione pointed out. "He hasn't been exposed to magic before, judging by his knowledge of Quidditch and the fact he's a muggle, so how does he know the material? How could he learn it all in such a short space of time?"

"Well, I've never seen him sleep," Harry said. "But he has to at some point."

"Have you seen what he eats? Rice and stuff, and not a lot of it, but I've never seen his mask move once," Ron contributed.

"Earlier, I found out that Hatake is in the military," Hermione said, after a moment of scribbling on parchment. The boys' heads snapped to her, loud shouts of 'what' echoing in the empty common room.

"I reckoned he was an assassin or something!"

After shushing them, she continued.

"It wasn't so much that I found out, just put some pieces together," she started.

"We were talking about Quidditch and what kinds of sports he had back home, but he said that sports were generally for 'civilians'. The word choice bothered me and I remembered something Moody said back when Hatake first arrived. Shinobi are soldiers of war."

The two boys fell silent, before Ron spoke up.

"That age line Fred and George did at Grimmauld... Hatake can't be much older than them."

The trio fell silent for a few moments, mulling over what they had shared. Hermione gathered up the parchment with the symbol before turning to the boys.

"I'll look up what I can this weekend since we've probably got enough to make some headway. For now we should go to bed."

The pair nodded and they each headed up to their respective dorms.

* * *

Kakashi spent the weekend split between avoiding Granger, finishing his homework and keeping watch over Potter and the castle. After wasting most of Saturday outside watching this 'Quidditch practice' thing, the rest of the day was whiled away in the library by both himself and the trio. Kakashi made sure to sit at a desk just out of their sight.

The trio had obviously shared what they knew with each other as Granger read through some books on foreign types of magic, while the other two just tried to finish what they had been putting off all weekend.

He himself had squared away his work yesterday and had finally found the time to go through material that was not on the curriculum. The books he had chosen were mainly focused history, specifically warfare and politics, as he filled another scroll to be sent back to Konoha. Although he had been hired by the wizards, his village had seen the opportunity to gather information about their culture and traditions, which would be analysed and stored by the Intelligence division as a precautionary measure.

Gathering the half dozen scrolls sprawled across the desk, he put them in his pouch before heading to the history section to place the books back. Quickly sensing the absence of students for the moment, he formed a _kage bunshin_ and _henged_ into a young blue-tied student he knew the trio would not recognise.

As the _bunshin_ turned to pull out more books to take back to the desk, Kakashi headed out the library, aiming straight for the front door. Walking briskly through the castle after dropping his disguise, he ignored the stares of the students he passed as he went to the tower to pack away his scrolls and pick up a small brown bag from his duffel.

A week into the school year, he would have thought the novelty would have worn off; but as he walked past a hushed huddle of yellow-covered students, he shrugged off their curious gazes. Heading out the front door, he started for the edge of the forest he had seen during his patrols, adjusting his scarf along the way. Eventually reaching the edge which was devoid of students, he expanded his senses, satisfied no one would wander his way for now.

Rapidly running through the hand seals, he was surrounded by eight puffs of smoke. As the smoke cleared, Kakashi had only a second to spot the bundles of fur before he was buried beneath the ninken. As he sat back up the tension left his body, the young shinobi coming as close to relaxed as he could ever be outside the village.

Reaching into the small brown bag, he proceeded to throw a treat to each dog and settled with his back against a tree trunk. Breathing in the clear forest air, he was taken back to his home for a brief moment; the scent of trees always on the air even in the centre of the village. He heard the patter of paws and looked down to see Pakkun sat beside him.

" **How's it going?** " the pug asked, settling into a comfortable position.

" **Potter and the academy are both safe, and I am gathering information on Ishihara** ," Kakashi replied monotonously.

" **You know that's not what I'm asking**."

Kakashi remained silent, watching each of his dogs finish up their treats.

" **Do you want to feel my paws?** " Pakkun said, holding out one paw.

The teen was not going to admit anything. Kakashi had always struggled with his emotions; partly due to losing everyone who could have helped him and also due to being trained from the age of four for the shinobi life, being taught to suppress it all.

Pakkun had been the first nin dog, he grew up with Kakashi. He knew more than anyone what the silver-haired teen had lived through. He understood.

His team had helped but he lost them. Even after losing his teammates, Minato-sensei and Kushna-nee had kept him from completely withdrawing from life around the village.

It had been almost a year since he lost them and Pakkun knew his summoner was struggling, even though he never showed anything but a bland exterior. All Pakkun could do was be there and help in any way he could and that meant more to Kakashi than the pug ever knew.

Kakashi's mouth quirked up at the edge, invisible beneath the mask.

" **Thanks, Pakkun** ," he said, his hands remaining in his lap.

A comfortable quiet settled over the group, each for the dogs finishing their treat and crowding around their summoner, finding a spot they could lie down.

Kakashi knew he could not stay out here forever, that he'd have to return for dinner, that the _kage bunshin_ would run out of chakra in a few hours. For now though, for the first time since he had been assigned his mission and arrived in this strange country, he felt comfortable. It was like he was sitting in one of the training grounds back in Konoha, surrounded by nothing but his dogs, the faint rustling of foliage and the taste of nature on the soft breeze.

* * *

Sunday morning saw the group of Gryffindors sliding into their benches, chattering away. Kakashi noted that Potter was more cheerful than usual, after his visit to the Owlery the night before. He suspected it had something to do with the girl he had run into, even if Filch had appeared.

"Why're you looking so happy this early?" Ron inquired, surprised at his friend's demeanour.

"Umm, Quidditch...yeah, practice later," Harry chirped, pulling some food towards him.

Kakashi raised a single brow and decided to leave it. Potter's personal life did not matter to him. He tuned out for a moment, locating Ishihara and satisfied she was staying on her table. He then put some eggs and rice on his plate and silently mourned the lack of chopsticks, before grabbing a spoon.

As the post arrived, he inhaled his breakfast, mask back in placed before the newspaper had even hit the table. Granger paid the owl with one of their strange coins and it flew off.

"Anything interesting?" asked Weasley, the words garbled around his mouthful of meat.

"Honestly, Ron, swallow before speaking," scolded Granger before continuing. "Just some guff about the Weird Sisters..."

She trailed off and Kakashi only had a second to consider what the hell a 'weird sister' was before Granger spoke again.

"Sirius!"

"What happened?" demanded Potter immediately, snatching the paper so violently it tore down the centre.

" _The Ministry of Magic has received a tip-off from a reliable source that Sirius Black, notorious mass murderer...blah blah blah...is currently hiding in London!_ " Herminone read out.

An image of a shaggy-haired, dog-like man shot through Kakashi's head. Wait, mass murderer?

"Black-san is a mass murderer?" he asked, unable to imagine the man capable. He was no Demon of the Bloody Mist.

"No, he was framed," Potter snapped, shooting him an angry look.

Kakashi accepted this in silence. Potter looked at his own half of the paper before slapping it on the table.

"Guys, look at this!"

Kakashi frown at the sheet, the foreign characters giving him nothing but a picture of a strange piece of clothing.

"Sturgis Podmore?" Weasley said slowly. "He's one of the Ord-"

"Ron, _shh_!" Granger hissed, her head darting around.

Kakashi knew he was missing something and grabbed the paper from Potter, tapping his necklace on it. The page converted to katakana and kanji and Kakashi sped through it.

 _TRESPASS AT MINISTRY_

 _Sturgis Podmore, 38, of number two, Laburnum Gardens, Clapham, has appeared in front of the Wizengamot charged with treason and robbery at the Ministry of Magic on 31_ _st_ _August. Podmore was arrested by Ministry of Magic watchwizard Eric Munch, who found him attempting to force his way through a top-security door at one o'clock in the morning. Podmore, who refused to speak in his own defence, was convicted on both charges and sentenced to six months in Azkaban._

Kakashi turned it back and put it on the table.

"Japanese," Granger muttered beside him, having seen the page.

"It was a frame-up!" declared Ron. "The Ministry thinks he's one of Dumbledore's lot so – I dunno – they _lured_ him there? Maybe they even made something up!"

"Weasley-san is right," Kakashi spoke up, attracting the stares of all three. "It's a common tactic among corrupt councils and no one can prove them otherwise. Especially since Podmore-san has been silenced."

The trio were silent for a moment, all with surprised looks on their faces. Kakashi had not spoken since Friday, when the two had found out he had taken Potter's cloak. Kakashi was fine with this, remaining a silent presence until now.

Granger shot an impressed look at Ron and folded up her newspaper.

"Well, I think we should focus on that essay for Sprout..."

Kakashi tuned out of the resulting complaints as he turned over the article in his head. The Ministry was obviously hiding something but there was not much he could do about it here. That was not his mission; Potter and Hogwarts were, now with the additional concern of Ishihara.

Kakashi sighed internally as he stood from the table, resigned to watching even more pointless sport. Maybe he could get that essay done while he was there.

* * *

The next morning when the newspaper came, it caused horror to wash over the Gryffindor table. Kakashi scribbled down the characters of the title onto a napkin and translated it, his face twisting beneath his mask as he read the words.

MINISTRY SEEKS EDUCATIONAL REFORM

DOLORES UMBRIDGE APPOINTED FIRST EVER HIGH INQUISITOR

He listened to Granger as she read the rest of the article out loud, outrage lining her voice as she reached the end. Potter and Granger exchanged horrified looks, but Kakashi was intrigued by Weasley's grin.

"I can't wait for McGonagall to get inspected," Weasley said happily. "Umbridge won't know what hit her."

Kakashi had only met the woman once but he found himself silently agreeing with the redhead.

There was no sign of Umbridge in their history lesson nor in the potions class. As Snape handed back their moonstone essays he looked as though he was in pain as he handed back Kakashi's.

"Your essays are the only thing keeping you from failing this class, as your potions are abysmal," said Snape snidely.

Kakashi ignored him – he figured he needed 'magic' to get his potions to work and that was not an option – and looked at the 'E' on his paper. Idly he realised he had no idea what that meant but judging by Snape's words it was good. He had not pinpointed why Snape disliked him so much but it was more than the fact he was in Gryffindor. No, it was because he was a shinobi. However, Kakashi was not that invested in finding out why as long as the man did not try anything. He peeked at Potter's paper in the corner of his eyes and spotted the 'D' before it was hidden from sight.

Today's potion was a 'strengthening solution' and Kakashi got the same result as every time he tried to make a potion; he did everything correctly, but his was just lacking something the others had. He noted that Potter had done better this week though.

Kakashi trailed behind the trio as they made their way to lunch, Granger trying to cheer up the boys about their grades. Sitting down on the benches, Granger was still talking.

"I mean, I would have been thrilled if I'd gotten an 'O'-"

"Hermione, if you want to know ours just ask," Weasley interrupted sharply.

"Well, I...I didn't mean...but if-"

"A bloody 'P', alright? I got a 'P'," Weasley grumbled, ladling some soup.

"Well, that not bad Ron," interjected Fred, sitting alongside Potter with his twin and another Gryffindor. Kakashi remembered his name as Jordan.

"Yeah, it stands for 'Poor' but better than 'D' for 'Dreadful' right?" Jordan said.

Kakashi looked at Potter as he faked a coughing fit, obviously trying to hide that he received that. His head snapped to one of the twins as his name was said.

"Kakashi, how'd you do?" George asked, curiosity gleaming in his eyes.

Suppressing the surprise that he was included, Kakashi answered.

"'E'."

Fred whistled.

"Damn, getting that in Snape's class is a miracle," he said.

"So 'O' is the best, for 'Outstanding', but what's 'E'?" Granger asked, frowning.

"'E' is the next one for 'Exceeding Expectations', Fred answered. "George and I should have gotten all 'E''s for our exams since we exceeded expectations by showing up."

Granger ploughed on as they all laughed, barring Kakashi who just listened quietly.

"After 'E' it's 'A' for 'Acceptable', then? And that's the last pass grade?"

"Yep, then 'P' for 'Poor' then 'D' for 'Dreadful'," Weasley grumbled, pumping his fist weakly at the word 'poor'.

"And 'T'," reminded George. "For 'Troll'."

Kakashi could tell he was being serious but how a student could do that badly was beyond him. It appeared though that his essay was good then after all. He would not be sitting the exams at the end of the year since he would not need them, but Kakashi was still required to complete assignments and coursework as part of the 'exchange program'.

The rest continued talking but Kakashi suddenly felt the now familiar glare directed at his back. Turning slightly he spotted Ishihara entering the hall, her hate-filled eyes sticking to him even as she sat. Kakashi turned back to the table, still aware of her and noticed that Potter had caught the exchange.

As lunch finished up, George spoke to Potter.

"Keep your temper, eh? Angelina'll do her nut if you miss anymore practice," he said, patting the younger boy on the shoulder.

They arrived in their next class, Divination, and Kakashi sat, pulling out his blank dream diary. This was his least favourite class but Care of Magical Creatures and DADA weren't far behind. Honestly, Kakashi had thought that he had left all this behind when he graduated the academy ten years ago. To be thrust into classes again was grating on him more that he liked to admit, even to himself. He had not liked the academy when he was four, he did not like it now. It was for the mission though so he would do the work.

But it was hard to dream when he barely slept long enough to function.

He looked up as Umbridge entered the classroom from the trapdoor, his surveillance seal still on the wood, unseen. He had not picked up anything useful from the Divination sensei yet, but he would rather be prepared than surprised so it would stay there for the rest of the month at least.

After announcing herself to Trelawney, Umbridge came over to their table and Potter bristled.

"Mr. Hatake, I have brought up your issues with the uniform with the Foreign Office of the Ministry and they have agreed that for you to fully embrace your time here you must follow _all_ of Hogwarts rules. Including uniform," she announced, beady eyes glowing in triumph.

"Now," she continued. "You are excused for this lesson to go and correct your uniform in time for my lesson."

Kakashi just sat for a moment before shoving his diary into his bag. He could not disobey her; he couldn't risk it. He had not meant be under so much scrutiny and his mismatched uniform had served a purpose. Umbridge was the only one of the entire staff to have a problem with it. But he could detect a threat anywhere and hers was blatant; he had limited power here.

He was halfway to the trapdoor before he stopped, realisation striking him.

His mask. He would have to take his mask off. These _wizards_ would see his face.

"Is there a problem, Mr. Hatake?" Umbridge asked sweetly.

Kakashi shook his head and made his way down the ladder.

No one knew what his face looked like; every single person who had seen it had died. He'd rarely ever taken it off after his father had gifted it to him upon his acceptance to the academy. Now this whole academy was going to see it, see his face.

He could picture Rin and Obito's faces the first time they had seen his face, remembered their words, their friendly teasing. How would people react here? Would they react the same?

He'd never taken it off for a mission or in the village but now he had to, unless he wanted to risk his ability to complete his mission further. Kakashi's thoughts were jumbled and disjointed as he made his way to the Gryffindor tower.

* * *

As Harry sat in the DADA classroom, dully wondering if there were enough chapters to bore them until the exams, he heard the door open and joined his classmates in looking back.

He watched in shock as a Gryffindor student walked in and sat. Harry recognised the spiky silver hair and eye-patch, but the rest was foreign to him. Proper shoes, full-length robe, no scarf, no _mask_. Hatake took out his textbook and stared down at his desk, almost as if refusing to lift his head.

His face was...normal. Strong jaw-line, thin lips, slightly pointed nose. Both his face and neck were pale and his uniform hung slightly loose on him. The first word to appear in Harry's head was 'young'. A lot younger than he had thought. Younger than the twins even. The second thing that Harry noticed was the scar descending from below the eye-patch, a straight line reaching his mouth. There was a small mole beneath the left side of his lower lip..

Despite his curiosity finally being satisfied about what was under the mask, Harry couldn't help but think the shinobi almost looked...naked. He was also showing the first emotion that Harry could clearly identify since meeting him over a month ago.

Discomfort.

Hatake was obviously uncomfortable dressed like this and it was bad enough that the normally stoic shinobi couldn't hide it. Harry felt bad for him, something he wouldn't have ever thought he could feel for the emotionless shinobi. A part of Harry reached out to Hatake, taking on the discomfort as his own.

Umbridge at the front of the class was beaming.

"Well now Mr. Hatake, that wasn't so difficult, was it?" she said, staring at the boy. She glanced disapprovingly at the eye-patch but didn't mention it.

"No, Umbridge-san," Hatake replied, his usual monotone unfaltering.

"That's Professor Umbridge," she corrected, a sharp edge creeping into her voice.

Harry got the feeling Hatake was lying but his face had smoothed out, as blank as his mask. Attention shifted from the shinobi as Hermione debated with Umbridge about jinxes, ending up in docked points.

Anger burned in Harry's stomach as he was assigned more detention for sticking up for Hermione and talking about Lord Voldemort. It was true though. The image of the purple turban unwrapping to reveal the Dark Lord would never leave him and he wasn't about to sit by and let anyone vouch for the twisted professor.

Silence settled over the classes for only a minute before a voice spoke.

"Fuck you."

The whole class as one snapped their heads to the silver-haired boy, still sitting with a blank expression on his face.

" _Excuse me_?" Umbridge squawked.

"I'm not sure if that's the correct phrase but I wanted to gain your attention," Hatake answered innocently.

Harry would bet his broom that it wasn't a translation error, but intentional.

"Did I say something wrong?" Hatake continued. "I have just been told that it gains people's attention. It worked?"

Umbridge blustered for a bit, opening and closing her mouth much a like a fish. The class just remained silent, unsure of what to do, before giggles broke out through the room, quickly stifled under Umbridge's glare.

"Well, Mr. Hatake," Umbridge finally said. "I think detention would be the best way for you to focus on learning our language properly."

Hatake nodded and went back to his textbook.

After processing what happened, the class settled down again, occasional glances thrown back at the foreign student but smiles everywhere. It was only at the end of the lesson that it occurred to Harry that Hatake hadn't said why he wanted Umbridge's attention.

* * *

The next morning, Angelina's shouting attracted McGonagall to the table.

"But Professor, he's gone and landed himself in detention again!"

McGonagall's sharp gaze went immediately to Harry, who tried to make himself smaller.

"Even after my warning last week, you did exactly the same thing again? I take it you mentioned the Dark Lord?" she demanded, lowering her voice.

"Yes," Harry meekly replied.

McGonagall caught movement beside him and watched the shinobi turn towards her. She was taken aback by his youthful face on full display but a suspicion entered her mind.

"Mr. Hatake, are you in detention too?"

"Yes, McGonagall-san," he replied, looking nonchalant about the whole thing.

Even without his mask she couldn't read him.

"And what did you do to land a second Gryffindor student in detention, second week in a row?" she asked exasperatedly.

She raised a brow as she noticed the other fifth year students trying to stifle their giggles.

"I told her 'fuck you'," Hatake answered, resulting in the twins a little ways down the bench breaking into howling laughter.

McGonagall had been teaching at Hogwarts for thirty-nine years and nothing surprised her, taking everything in her stride. However, this once, she stared open-mouthed at her newest addition for several seconds. She then closed her mouth and nodded, making her way back to the staff table after warning them about their noise levels.

She did not take any points from the silver-haired boy as she'd done with Potter. In fact, she was really starting to think the young man belonged in Gryffindor.

* * *

 **This concludes the fourteenth chapter.**

 **Please could you review about what you like and what I can improve upon? Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated and I will always strive to improve your reading experience in any way I can.**

 **Arigatou gozaimasu**


	15. Exchange

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Harry Potter; they belong to** **Masashi Kishimoto and J K Rowling respectively.**

 **I am making no profit from this story, it is only for entertainment.**

 **Thank you to all those who reviewed, favourited and followed this story.**

 **To AkabaneKazama, Kakashi has been placed in the Gryffindor house to keep close to Harry.**

 **To Gogglegirl, I did consider your idea while writing the chapter, but Kakashi would be trying to conserve chakra and if he ever had to dispel it might attract some unwanted questions.**

 **Thanks for all the great reviews and I am trying to cut down the time between updates.**

 **And finally a massive thank you to SecretIdentities for being an amazing beta and making this story way better than I could have done alone.**

 **I hope you all enjoy.**

 ***Bold = Japanese**

* * *

Chapter 15: **Exchange**

When Rinri walked into the Great Hall for breakfast on Tuesday, she was fully expecting to spend it how she always did; glare at the scum, imagine his gruesome death, eat food and be away to whatever she had for that day.

What she didn't expect was to see the bare face of the Copy-nin, surrounded by laughing students. She stared open-mouthed as she sat on the Slytherin bench mechanically, ignoring the strange looks the other students gave her.

Hatake Kakashi did not take off his mask. He was famous for his mask. He was famous in Iwa for his mask. No living person in the Elemental Nations has been recorded to ever have seen his face. Yet here she was, staring at the pale skin and the scar running down his face.

Rinri wasn't quite sure what to do with this information. It wouldn't help her in combat, nor really aid her village in any way. It was just his face. She still felt like the knowledge of his true face should be used for something.

As the older students left for classes, Rinri's stare followed before she realised the time and sped out of the hall, heading straight for the common room. She had Grubbly-Plank first, but she could afford to miss it; the creatures they were studying had taken a particular disliking to her, anyway. She had no desire to go anywhere near those Skewt things any more than she had to. Finally reaching the empty Slytherin common room, she stood next to the fireplace, scanning the room as she waited.

It was dark the majority of the time, which wasn't a surprise since it was the dungeons. Black and green was the theme, and the decorated walls were haunting in their beauty. Rinri would never admit it, but the view of the lake out the long windows always entranced her, never having seen anything like it. She wondered sometimes why the Slytherins were delegated to the dungeons. She had already seen the way the rest of the school regarded them, and she found she couldn't blame the Slytherins for their animosity against everyone but themselves.

Every so often though, just for a second, she missed her home. She missed her mother, her friends, her village. The great stone edifices that stretched to the sky and if climbed to the top, all that could be seen was open blue skies. It was harsh sometimes, being entirely surrounded by mountains, but she loved it. It was always worth the view from the top of the world.

Rinri startled slightly at the sound of crackling and silently cursed her wandering mind. She had to be better than this. Her village needed her. She turned to stare into the fire, seeing the familiar face of her employer.

"Ishida, report."

He was quite plain-faced with rough stubble and short wavy hair, his nose slightly too big for his face. He spoke in a different accent to those she attended this academy with, but his tone was sharp, commanding.

"Nothing new to report, sir, other than her new role as High Inquisitor. Umbridge still uses the quill as punishment in detention and she has begun her inspection of the Hogwarts teaching staff," she replied promptly.

The face in the fireplace contemplated this for a moment before speaking.

"Alright, continue with observation. We had seen the news so we're up-to-date on her new position. I want you to keep an eye out for anymore 'Educational Decrees', and to assess if they are fair or an abuse of power. Understood?"

"Yes, sir."

The man was silent for a moment.

"You've left the other shinobi alone?" he inquired.

Rinri felt a brief flash of anger and hoped it didn't show on her face.

"Yes," she said, gritting her teeth.

The man didn't react to her anger but simply nodded as best a face in a fireplace could.

"Excellent, then continue."

He then disappeared.

Rinri let out a sigh. Her seals weren't picking up as much as she'd hoped from Umbridge's office, but she wasn't really that surprised. Iwa-nin weren't known for their fūinjutsu and she was just a chunin. She'd have to start staking out the office in person.

* * *

Kakashi had thought all the intrigue and curiosity the Hogwarts students had regarding him had worn off last week. However, with the removal of his mask, it all began anew. But this time, it was different. He did not have his mask or Rin's scarf, so they could see his face. He was not used to that even in Konoha. He thought he managed to hide his discomfort well, only Potter catching it in the first DADA lesson and not a single time since.

It was midnight when Kakashi and Potter got back from detention. This was another week that Kakashi had to waste instead of spending it productively. He trusted Umbridge even less than a week ago, so he could not leave Potter to her "mercy". But that didn't mean he had to like it.

Though, Kakashi was still a little proud of how he had gotten into detention. Normally, he would never be that blatant in his attempt, but she had crossed the line where he was concerned. He didn't think she bought the language barrier excuse, but right at that moment he didn't care.

He had surprised himself; he had not thought that baring his face would unsettle him so much. Anyway, that strategy was the quickest way he could think of to end up in detention with Potter.

It had the unintended side effect, however, of causing every Gryffindor who heard about it to declare him a 'legend' and treat him as their best friend. Even Weasley and Granger stopped shooting him distrusting looks even if they were still wary.

Currently Potter was trying to hinder the bleeding with a scarf, the blood seeping through the material. His own hand was bleeding profusely too, but he had wrapped it in the bandage he kept in his pocket. Though, judging by how much of the white was now red, he might need to use a medical jutsu, if only so he did not bleed all over the castle on his patrol.

Entering the common room, he saw that Granger was ready with a bowl filled with a yellow substance that irritated Kakashi's sensitive nose.

"Here, it's strained and pickled Murtlap tentacles. It'll help," she said, holding it out.

Potter sank his hand into it gratefully while Kakashi headed straight for the stairs. Reaching his bed, he chucked his robe on the bed, changing into his long-sleeved black shirt and black trousers with multiple pockets. He wrapped his kunai pouch tightly around his right thigh and tied on his belt, pulling on his gloves. He pulled on his mask and wrapped Rin's scarf around his neck, breathing in the familiar material. Although he had been pressured to take off his mask, Kakashi only did so for the duration of the academy's day. The moment he was released from his last classes, he pulled it on.

He traded his shoes for sandals, stocked up on weapons and closed the bed's curtains, heading back down into the common room. He grabbed some tissues from the bathroom on his way down.

Potter was silent and standing, glaring at his friends and breathing hard. The bowl was broken on the ground and the mixture was all over his shoes and the floor. Kakashi walked over to Potter, dodging the mess and ignoring the tense atmosphere.

"Hand," he said quietly.

"I thought you said it was a one time thing," Potter reminded sharply.

Kakashi just look unimpressed and held out the tissues. Potter grumbled but he took the tissues and sat, clearing away the yellow muck and restarting the bleeding.

"Harry, what are you-" Granger started.

Kakashi ignored her as he concentrated on the seals, holding his glowing hands over Potter's wound. It closed up quickly and he moved onto his own, after taking his bandage off. He looked up from wrapping a fresh bandage on his hand to see the shocked looks of Weasley and Granger.

"What the bloody hell was that?" Ron burst out.

Kakashi just remained silent, going over to lean on one of the walls. He was healing his own anyway, no harm in helping Potter at the same time.

"It's alright, Ron; he's used it before," Potter spoke up, examining his scarred hand.

"That doesn't answer my question," the redhead retorted.

"Some kind of medical magic," Granger answered as she took Potter's hand to examine it. "That's brilliant, no wand at all. But you use 'jutsu' right?"

She looked to Kakashi at the final question, completely mispronouncing the word. He gave her no reply, but she seemed to accept it as truth anyway. A thoughtful look crossed her face as she continued to look at Kakashi. He could not quite read what she was thinking, but whatever it was, it was going to be trouble. Rin always had the same look on her face when she was cooking up some plan that would end terribly for him and Obito. They'd once spent a week trying to get yellow paint out of their hair. Kakashi turned his face to the window to look at the inky darkness beyond the glass.

"Kakashi, what would you say if we started a secret club to learn how to fight?"

"Hermione!" "'Mione!"

Kakashi looked back at the trio.

"I'd say good," he said.

Potter and Weasley looked at him surprise.

"But wouldn't you say 'it's too dangerous' or something like that?" Potter shot out, mimicking Kakashi's voice horribly.

"If you know how to defend yourself, it makes my mission much easier than if you were a sitting duck," he shrugged. He was confident in his ability to protect Potter, but still, he would not be there forever.

Potter considered his words for a moment before nodding.

"I guess..."

There was an awkward silence for a few minutes before Granger stood.

"Well, I'm off to bed," she said. "Night?"

It sounded like more of a question than a true attempt at ending the silence.

"Right, erm...coming, Harry?" Weasley added, rising to his feet.

"In a minute, guys. I need to-" Potter cut himself off, gesturing vaguely to the floor.

The other two went up the stairs as Kakashi and Potter were left in the common room. Potter took out his wand and murmured 'reparo', picking up the fixed bowl and placing it on the table.

As Kakashi made his way to the exit and Potter to the stairs, Kakashi stopped and fought with himself before speaking up.

"You shouldn't push them away. They just want to help."

Potter looked back at him surprise before scowling.

"What would you know?" he responded snidely.

Kakashi did not respond and simply left, hiding his shaking fists as he began his patrol.

* * *

Two weeks passed in a blur for Kakashi, following the same routine. Homework, class, watch over Potter wherever he was and patrol. Potter managed to avoid getting any more detentions after the second week. The boy was still having consistent nightmares and Kakashi had no choice but to leave him to it; he knew from experience that he could not help without knowing the source.

He and Ishihara had also found a way to avoid each other while still being able to keep up with their respective missions. He had figured out she was specifically observing Umbridge as if she was gathering evidence for something. He still felt her glares at mealtimes, but it did not bother him. He was prepared for another attack, but as the weeks went on, he suspected she had been told to stay away from him by whoever had hired her.

So the rest of September passed relatively peacefully and Kakashi's birthday passed quietly. He did not mention it to anyone; he was slightly absent that day, lost in his memories of the last happy birthday he had. He'd been fourteen, Kushina-nee about ready to burst with the new baby and Minato-sensei had insisted on dinner and cake. Kakashi had pretended at the time that he was not bothered; he had never really cared about his birthday. Now he spent the day alone, he would have given anything to go back to that day and smile and enjoy and treasure every single minute with them. He tried to avoid thinking about further back, refusing to dive into the memories with Obito and Rin. It hurt enough already.

October then began and the trip to Hogsmeade loomed, with the plan in place to meet up with others interested in learning practical DADA. As they all lined up in front of Filch, Kakashi ended up directly behind the trio and hid his confusion when Filch started sniffing Potter. He tugged Rin's scarf tighter around his neck; he had been told that the trip required 'casual' dress so had pulled on his grey hoodie over his patrol gear and hid his weapons. Stepping up to the man, Kakashi handed in the permission slip that had Minato-sensei's forged signature on it. He had not been warned that he would require this kind of thing and there was no way to get the signature in time from Hokage-sama. Kakashi sent his apologies to his sensei, but honestly, there was no one else he would be comfortable having as his guardian.

As the group set off on the road to the village, Kakashi listened quietly to Potter's 'dungbomb' tale. He remembered that Potter had been sending a letter to Sirius when he had encountered both the Cho girl and Filch. Looking around at the landscape, he took note of ideal ambush sites and scanned for movement.

"Hey, Kakashi, who signed your permission slip?"

Kakashi snapped his head to look at Granger and noticed the other two were also looking at him. He considered his answer but decided there was no real reason to lie to them.

"I did," he shrugged.

Granger looked aghast.

"You can't have," she said. "They checked that it's not your signature, they wouldn't have let you come if you signed it yourself."

"It's not my signature," Kakashi replied simply.

"Then...you forged it?" Potter said hesitantly.

Kakashi nodded and moved to continue forward, the group having stopped at Granger's question.

"Whose did you forge?" Granger blurted out, curiosity shining brightly in her eyes, drowning out the previous disapproval.

Kakashi's shoulders tensed for a moment before he sighed.

"It does not matter. You are going to be late."

Weasley looked down at his watch and reluctantly agreed with the shinobi. The four set off once more, Kakashi hanging further back than before. They passed through the village, Kakashi scanning the faces they passed, and came to a run-down building.

"I know it's a bit...dodgy, but students don't normally come here, so I figured we wouldn't be overheard," Granger said nervously, as if trying to explain the building in front of them.

They entered and Kakashi looked around, taking in the grimy surrounding and the odd goat stench. It was not the worst place he had been, but he could tell that the trio were uncomfortable.

"Are you sure about this, Hermione?" Potter muttered.

Granger gathered herself and nodded.

"I checked and rechecked the school rules and Professor Flitwick said that students are allowed here, but we should bring our own glasses."

They walked up to the bar and ordered, Kakashi narrowing his eyes at the golden liquid as he remembered the sickly sweet scent from before.

"You know, I bet we could order anything in here and get served. I've always fancied Fire Whiskey..." Weasley said, staring at the bottles on the wall.

"You – are – a – prefect," hissed Granger.

Kakashi's mouth quirked up slightly at the downtrodden expression on Weasley's face. He followed the trio and took a seat, opening the bottle but refraining from drinking any of the contents.

He looked towards the door as a troop of students arrived, almost all of the faces familiar. He imprinted each face into his memory for future reference as he overheard one of the twins ordering at the bar. He was about to help Weasley gather some chairs when he spotted a cloaked figure hanging near the doorway, his face obscured.

Alarm bells rang in Kakashi's head as his whole body tensed, alert and prepared to take action. The figure left and Kakashi moved to follow before glancing back at Potter. He strode over to a dark corner and discreetly ran though the seals, summoning Pakkun and Urushi. As the student started to sit down behind them, Kakashi shot out his orders.

"Stay and watch out for Potter. Do not be seen; Pakkun, you are going to report what they say in these meetings and Urushi, you are the guard. If anything happens, protect the boy and as many as you can, understood?"

At the confirmation from the two Kakashi took off his necklace and looped around Pakkun's neck.

"This will allow you to understand them," he explained, as he turned and took off out the door.

It had only been a few seconds since the cloaked figure had been out of his sight, but Kakashi spotted him far down the street. He raced after him, barely taking notice of the people he dodged and weaved around. Coming to the road back to Hogwarts, Kakashi followed the figure into the trees. During the chase, Kakashi had transferred his weaponry into easy to reach places, prepared for battle.

Kakashi took to the trees quickly, leaping from branch to branch. The cloaked figure finally stopped in a small clearing and Kakashi remained in the trees, crouching on a branch. The figure took down his hood and looked around the clearing, obviously looking for him.

He was pale with a receding hairline, his eyes sunken and his mouth twisted. Greedy eyes darted around, searching through the trees. He shouted something and Kakashi heard his name, but the realisation that he had left his only chance at understanding with Pakkun washed over him like cold water. He watched for a moment longer as the man took out a stick and held the end to his own throat.

" **Can you hear me now, Kakashi Hatake?** " the man called.

Kakashi deliberated for a moment before deciding the information this man could offer was worth the risk. He had never seen this man before, but it was obvious that he wanted something—something that might give a clue to his identity. This man knew what his language was, too – a fact he should not have known unless he had encountered others like him. He rustled the orange leaves around him and showed his upper body, keeping the rest hidden. The man eyes snapped to him and his eyes grew wide.

" **My Lord is very interested in you, although I have no idea why. You're just a filthy muggle, but you're also my ticket back into his good graces,** " the man stated, his grin wide and manic.

" **Who are you?** " Kakashi responded, adjusting his grip on his kunai.

" **I am Avery, a follower of the Dark Lord. He has sent me to offer you an opportunity,** " Avery announced, his eyes never leaving Kakashi's. " **Kill Albus Dumbledore and deliver Potter to us. Do this and my Lord will reward you handsomely, though you should be grateful we that we would let you go at all.** "

Kakashi's eye narrowed as it all fell into place. This man was one of those 'Death Eaters' that had been mentioned multiple times over the length of his mission; an agent of 'Voldemort'. The main reason he had been hired for this mission, although Kakashi had already encountered other objectives that had not been on the original mission request.

" **We have worked with your kind before, and it always worked out for both sides,** " Avery added, his voice as smooth as slime.

Kakashi's first meeting with the Order flashed through his head, Molly's voice ringing in his ears.

 _"How do we know that 'You-Know-Who' has not offered you a higher price to kill Harry?"_

He had meant what he said, when he had told her he would not waver from his mission, that he would protect Potter to the best of his ability until the day his mission finished. By what the man had said, Voldemort did not want Potter dead—or perhaps he wished to kill the boy himself? Avery could have easily attacked Potter back at the pub, but he did not, instead wanting to speak to Kakashi alone. From what Kakashi had gathered about previous years, Voldemort was almost always present or involved in the attempts on Potter's life. Why was the boy so important?

" **No,** " Kakashi said.

Avery's face contorted with rage. He snapped his stick out towards Kakashi, yelling something and a flash of purple fire came soaring at Kakashi. He moved to a different tree as he threw a kunai at the man's shoulder. At the last second Avery tried to move, but the kunai hit its target, hampering Avery's movement considerably. The man was fortunate that Kakashi wanted him alive and in relatively one piece.

" **Dead or captured, either one would aid my Lord's cause,** " he snarled, throwing another purple flame as he slashed his wand away from his neck.

Kakashi jumped to the ground while avoiding another burst of fire. He sped towards the wizard dodging the next wave of flame. Avery screamed and made a different motion with his stick. Kakashi again dodged but looked back for a moment, watching the tree behind him disintegrate. Ducking beneath another attempt, he reached the wizard and punched him in the gut, causing the man to double over. Kakashi kneed him in the face. The man was knocked back onto the ground and Kakashi stepped forward, planting a foot on his neck and holding a kunai to his eye.

The man was a pitiful sight; nose bleeding, tears in his eyes, fear across his features.

" **You will tell me everything you know about Voldemort,** " Kakashi growled.

The man began babbling and Kakashi could not keep track of the foreign words. He leaned more weight into his foot and the man stuttered into a whimper, struggling to catch a breath. He would not be getting anything out of this man; the snivelling weakling was too caught up in his own panic. He took the stick from him and snapped it, the two halves connected by a splinter, and he threw it to one side. Avery's volume rose as he watched.

Kakashi took a stasis scroll out of his trouser pocket and pressed it against the man, pushing chakra into it. As the scroll lit up, Avery's eyes widened into complete panic. He grabbed his splintered stick and pointed it at Kakashi, screaming something as he disappeared. Too close to dodge, Kakashi was hit straight on and he hit the ground, cursing that he had not thrown the stick further. He had thought simply snapping it would be enough to negate its power.

Looking back at the man, Kakashi saw he had succeeded in sealing him, but Avery's last jutsu had knocked him back a few steps and he could feel a sharp pain with every breath. Bruised ribs, he concluded from experience. Should take care of itself in a week or two. As he stood painfully he vowed to completely destroy the 'wand' of the next enemy he came across. He looked down at the singed remains of his jumper and took it off, tying it around his waist to hide the damage. Crossing over to the scroll, he grimaced as he picked it up, shoving it into the same pocket.

Kakashi made his way back to the road, opting to walk instead of taking to the trees.

So Voldemort not only knew what he was but had worked with others like him before; but to know this, he must have agents within the academy itself. Only a limited few knew about him so that narrowed down the list of suspects, but that did not sit well with him. How could he have not picked up on anything for over a month?

Reaching the road he ignored the looks of students walking along, and turned to look at the castle, seeing only fog and ruins where Hogwarts should be. Kakashi continued to stare, but the image did not change. He figured he would need the necklace to get back into the academy. He instead started back to Hogsmeade to rejoin Pakkun and Urushi. The wizard had been after him so the students should be safe and once he delivered the man to Dumbledore-sama, they could extract the necessary information from him.

Each breath caused sharp pain to echo through his chest and Kakashi knew he did not have the skill with shōsen fix it.

He was definitely destroying any enemy wands in the future.

* * *

There was something off about Hatake.

Harry couldn't quite work it out but there was definitely something. He hadn't questioned the shinobi when he had walked back into the Hog's Head just as the meeting had finished. He looked exactly the same, still quiet, still aloof. He had gone over to two dogs, one that Harry was unfortunately familiar with, and had taken something from them, exchanging a few words. Honestly, Harry's thoughts had been too wrapped up with Cho to really care.

However, as the four walked back to Hogwarts and sat down for dinner, there was something that just niggled away at Harry's brain. It was like the time the Fred and George moved everything in the common room two inches to the left; doesn't sound that bad, but everything was weird all day. More than one bruise and spillage occurred as everything was not quite where it was supposed to be. It took a whole day for someone to figure out what had changed.

Harry stared across the table, watching Hatake swirl his soup.

"Where'd you go when you left the Hog's Head?" Hermione asked, startling Harry out of his stare.

His friend was looking at the shinobi too, her intelligent gaze probing. Had she noticed something off too?

"Something came up," Hatake replied.

Hermione was about to say something else, but someone walked up to their table, hovering behind Hatake.

"Mr. Hatake, I will see you in the hospital wing directly after dinner," Madame Pomfrey said, looking sternly at the man in question.

"I am fine, Pomfrey-san," Hatake said blandly.

She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Your wand," she demanded.

Hatake put down his spoon and reached into one of his many pockets, pulling out his wand and handing it over. Harry was kind of surprised he had it on him, considering he couldn't use it; then again, every student had their wands on them at all times. It would've been strange if Hatake didn't. Their whole table was now focused on this interaction, food momentarily forgotten.

Madame Pomfrey took the wand then dropped it on the ground behind Hatake. Harry shared a confused look with Ron beside him.

"Pick it up without leaving your seat."

Hatake stared at Madame Pomfrey for a moment and a suspicion entered Harry's mind. The shinobi twisted round and bent to pick up his wand, his movements slow and measured and careful. Harry couldn't see his face from his seat, but Madame Pomfrey could. She seemed to find confirmation for what she was looking for.

"Point taken, Mr. Hatake? Now, since you seem reluctant I will escort you there personally. You appear to have finished your meal," she stepped back, waiting for him to follow.

Harry made a snap decision and shoved a sausage into his mouth, rushing to stand too. He swallowed as Madame Pomfrey looked over at him with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm his guide, so I should go too," Harry said, shoulders slumping in relief as she nodded.

Harry was curious; something had been off about the shinobi and he knew that going with Madame Pomfrey would give him the answers.

The two boys followed quietly behind her as they left the Great Hall, heading for the infirmary. As they entered, Harry glanced around the familiar room, having been here more times than he cared to count since he started here five years ago. Madame Pomfrey herded Hatake to a bed and demanded he strip so she could get a closer look. Harry settled himself close by as Hatake slowly unravelled his scarf, seemingly resigned to his fate.

Harry couldn't contain the gasp that left him as Hatake peeled off the final layer of his shirt. Starting just beneath his heart, a massive bruise spread out over his ribs. It looked like someone hand throw a paint bomb at his chest, unleashing red and blue and purple into a grotesque mess across a pale canvas. How could he move with that? How had he hidden it? Harry had thought something was off, but this was... this was major. Hatake's body was like it had been cut from stone and scars were scattered all over his arms and torso. Harry felt a little sick at the number of them. What had the guy had to have gone through to look like that?

Madame Pomfrey crossed back to the bed after gathering her materials and tutted at the sight.

"What did you think you were going to do about that alone?" she asked, placing some bandages on the table.

"Wrap it," Hatake answered sullenly. "How did you know?"

"It's my job," Pomfrey smiled gently, offering him a yellowish potion.

Hatake glared at it dubiously.

"It's a painkiller," explained Pomfrey.

"I do not need it."

"That bruise on your chest tells me otherwise."

"Nothing is broken and the pain is manageable. I've had worse," Hatake shrugged.

Harry watched the exchange silently, still reeling that Hatake had been able to hide it. His thoughts went back to the scar on his face; it went up to his eye and he always wore an eye-patch. Harry had known the shinobi for two months now, but it hadn't ever really occurred to him that he had actually lost it. It wouldn't have occurred to him that the shinobi could be injured at all. He was always so cold and aloof like the rest of the world couldn't touch him.

Harry struggled to associate the guy before him with that dark figure he had first met.

As Harry zoned back in he realised that Pomfrey had succeeded in forcing Hatake to drink the potion and had moved to rubbing some kind of ointment into the bruise.

"This will speed up the healing so it should only be there for a week," Madame Pomfrey said. "Mr. Hatake, this looks like you were hit with an Expulso curse. I've seen this kind of injury before and though the one you were hit with was weak, the pattern is the same."

Harry startled from his place against a wall seconds before the door to the infirmary opened. Dumbledore strode in with McGonagall at his heels and headed straight for Hatake. Noticing Harry was there, Dumbledore didn't even offer a greeting before McGonagall was escorting Harry out the room. The door slammed shut behind him before Harry could collect his thoughts enough to form words, his mind still turning over the information.

Hatake had been hit with a curse? By who? It must have been when he disappeared from the Hog's Head. Why didn't he say anything? These thoughts swirled around his head as he wandered back to the Gryffindor tower to tell the others what he had heard.

* * *

 **This concludes the fifteenth chapter.**

 **Please could you review about what you like and what I can improve upon? Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated and I will always strive to improve your reading experience in any way I can.**

 **Arigatou gozaimasu**


	16. Meetings

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Harry Potter; they belong to Masashi Kishimoto and J K Rowling respectively.**

 **I am making no profit from this story, it is only for entertainment.**

 **Thank you to all those who reviewed, favourited and followed this story.**

 **To tabjoy13 and Minikat006, all I will say is you might enjoy some future chapter ;)**

 **To Einjeru Hatake, you predicted a part of this chapter! Hope you enjoy the section with him.**

 **Thank you to everyone for their criticism and advice and I will try to take it on board. Also wanted to add there will be no romance or pairings in this story.**

 **Thanks for all the great reviews and I am trying to cut down the time between updates.** **I've managed to get it down to a chapter a month so far and hope to continue the trend.**

 **And finally a massive thank you to SecretIdentities for being an amazing beta and making this story way better than I could have done alone.**

 **I hope you all enjoy.**

 ***Bold = Japanese**

* * *

Chapter 16: **Meetings**

Kakashi stood to attention as McGonagall joined them, having escorted Potter out the room. He was reluctant to let Potter leave on his own but he did not have much of a choice considering the look his employer was giving him. He was abruptly pulled out of his stance when Pomfrey lifted his arms, wrapping a bandage around his chest. She stood back and eyed him critically.

"Can you breathe? Is it too tight?" she asked.

"It is fine, Pomfrey-san," he replied.

She narrowed her eyes slightly before shaking her head and giving him a bottle of the ointment she had used.

"Rub that onto the bruise every evening and make sure to wrap it up. I want to see you here in a week so I can check it's healing as it should."

Kakashi gave her a curt nod, already going through the ways he could avoid that appointment. He hated hospitals in Konoha and it was not any different here.

"Thank you, Madame Pomfrey. If we could speak to young Mr. Hatake...?" Dumbledore said, trailing off at the end.

Pomfrey seemed to have picked up the silent request, nodding and heading to her office in another part of the infirmary. Kakashi quickly pulled on his shirt and scarf, having left his mask on. He stood to attention once again as the sensei looked at him.

"Report."

"I encountered a hostile when in the village with Potter-san. I discovered he was not there for Potter-san but to recruit me," he said, noting the look the pair exchanged. "After extracting what information I could, I secured him for further interrogation."

Kakashi then pulled out the stasis scroll from his pocket and presented it to Dumbledore. A second passed as the wizards looked at the scroll.

"He's in there?" McGonagall asked sharply.

Kakashi gave a curt nod.

"Well, we will need you to get him out of there if we are to find out anything from him," Dumbledore said calmly.

The headmaster turned to McGonagall, a silent request, and she pulled her wand from her robe, pointing it towards the floor in front of Kakashi. Kakashi unrolled the scroll onto the floor and pressed a hand to the paper, a brief light flashing before the infirmary was filled with pained wails.

" _Petrificus totalus_ ," McGonagall said, white light flashing from the end of her wand and freezing the man on the ground.

Kakashi took a moment to check her jutsu had worked before reaching down and snatching the broken remains of the wand from Avery's hand. The man's wide eyes followed his movements as Kakashi placed it on the bed and ran through hand seals.

" _Katon: Houka Hira no Jutsu_ ," he said, picking up the wand with his now flaming hand and amplifying the chakra until the wood had been reduced to ash, the whole process over in mere seconds.

Kakashi turned to the sensei and waited for instructions.

"Next time, Mr. Hatake, if you could refrain from destroying any wands," said Dumbledore. "They can be used as evidence."

Kakashi nodded but found that he could not rid himself of the flicker of satisfaction he had felt when he had burned that stick. Just because he had been trained to withstand pain did not mean he appreciated being injured.

"Why has he been stabbed?" McGonagall spoke up, looking vaguely disturbed.

"He did not want to surrender quietly," Kakashi answered.

"His name?"

"Avery, Dumbledore-sama."

The elderly wizard nodded before gesturing to McGonagall. She said something to reverse the jutsu and Kakashi stepped in immediately, pressing a foot to Avery's throat. The man started scratching at his foot with his uninjured arm and his legs thrashed. Kakashi glared down, unimpressed.

" _Shibari_ ," he stated as he finished running through the hand seals.

Avery froze in place.

"Is that really necessary?" McGonagall said, eyeing Kakashi.

"I destroyed his wand, but it does not mean he will not attack."

"Avery, why did you target Mr. Hatake?" Dumbledore interrupted, silencing them both.

Kakashi lifted the pressure on Avery's neck slightly, just enough so he could speak.

"I-(cough)-I shall _never_ betray my Lord."

"What does he want?" Dumbledore asked.

A grin spread across Avery's lips, a grin of too much teeth and too little sanity.

"You really think you mudbloods, you muggles could ever hope to understand my-"

Kakashi pressed on his windpipe, cutting off any further words.

"He wanted your death, Dumbledore-sama, and Potter-san delivered to him," he stated.

"That is not entirely unexpected," Dumbledore nodded. "Ideally, we would need to find out as much as we can from him, but we can send him to the Order for that. The only thing we need at this very moment is how they knew about your true origins and abilities."

Kakashi nodded and lifted his foot slightly.

"Well?" he demanded, knowing the man had been listening intently.

As the man tried to continue his rant from before, Kakashi reached down and gripped the kunai that remained in his shoulder. Twisting it to the right, he listened to the man's screaming for a moment before stopping, still holding onto the handle.

"I threw this with the intention of slowing you down, not to cause any real damage. However, if you are unwilling to cooperate I can ensure you can never use this arm again."

Kakashi was calm as he delivered this threat. It was not the first time he had had to _convince_ enemies to give up the information they tried to hide.

"Y-you think a _muggle_ could threaten me? I have knelt at my Lord's feet and He saw me fitting to serve Him. Take my fucking arm, it won't stop me from fulfilling my duty," hissed Avery, spiting in Kakashi's direction.

Kakashi considered the man for a moment, unable to help the small part of him that was impressed. It seemed wizards were made of sterner stuff than he had thought. Kakashi looked back at Dumbledore, silently asking if he was to continue, ignoring the horrified look McGonagall was sending him.

"Minerva, fetch Severus and ask him to bring some Veritaserum," Dumbledore said, glancing at McGonagall.

The woman hesitated for a moment before turning and leaving the infirmary. Kakashi watched her go, trying to figure out if he had heard of it before. It did not sound familiar.

"Kakashi," Dumbledore started, snatching Kakashi's attention. "No matter if I am here at Hogwarts or not, even if I am unemployed here, your mission is to remain the same. I did not hire you as Headmaster, I hired you as Head of the Order. Understood?"

Kakashi looked at him strangely.

"Understood, Dumbledore-sama."

Moments later, McGonagall came back into the room, Snape trailing behind her with a vial of what looked like water. There was no odour and if Dumbledore had not called it by some strange name he would have taken it to be water. Snape took in the scene before him and Kakashi caught a flicker of _something_ in his eyes. Familiarity? Like he had seen something like this before? But how? Where?

"I have the potion, shall I administer it now?" Snape said, still eyeing Kakashi.

"Yes, Severus. For now, we just need to find out where Voldemort is getting his information then the Order can take care of the rest," Dumbledore confirmed.

Snape nodded and came towards Avery, glaring at Kakashi's foot. Kakashi lifted it from Avery's throat but kept the genjutsu in place. He watched closely as Snape poured three drops of the water-looking liquid into Avery's mouth before stepping back.

"Now," said Dumbledore. "Avery, would you like to tell us how Voldemort knows about Mr. Hatake and why he risked contacting him?"

"My L-Lord never told me how he knew; just that he had eyes in Hogwarts, that he would see everything when Harry Potter did-"

Avery clamped his mouth shut, horror across his features. Kakashi stared at him wide-eyed; why was he talking? What had that liquid been?

"What else did Voldemort say?"

"He-"

Avery cut himself off and Kakashi spotted blood in his mouth. Dumbledore had seen the same and sighed.

"The Veritaserum should last for a few hours. Mr. Hatake, put him back into your parchment and come with us to my office so we can hand him over to the Order. They can finish it properly," he said, a heaviness to his tone that had not been present before.

Kakashi gave a quick nod and picked up the stasis scroll from the ground. He pulled the kunai from Avery's shoulder and ignored the man's screams as he lifted the genjutsu. Pushing chakra into the scroll, Avery disappeared and Kakashi placed it back into his pocket.

As the three sensei turned to leave, Snape throwing a venomous look his way Kakashi spoke up.

"What was that? What did you use?"

McGonagall and Snape looked to Dumbledore.

"It was a potion called Veritaserum. It makes anyone who drinks it unable to lie and compelled to answer any question directed at them."

Dumbledore, McGonagall and Snape resumed heading towards the door and Kakashi followed, an uneasy feeling taking root in his gut.

* * *

After Sunday was spent in the library avoiding Potter's questions, Kakashi began Monday by listening to Potter and Weasley discuss something called a 'Sloth Grip Roll' as they all walked to breakfast. Before they left the common room, Potter spotted something on the notice board and immediately went closer to take a look.

 _BY ORDER OF THE HIGH INQUISITOR OF HOGWARTS_

 _All student organisations, societies, teams, groups and clubs are henceforth disbanded._

 _An organisation, society, team, group or club is hereby defined as a regular meeting of three or more students._

 _Permission tore-form may be sought from the High Inquisitor (Professor Umbridge)._

 _No student organisation, society, team, group or club may exist without the knowledge and approval of the High Inquisitor._

 _Any student found to have formed, or to belong to, an organisation, society, team, group or club that has not been approved by the High Inquisitor will be expelled._

 _The above is in accordance with Educational Decree Number Twenty-Four_

 _Signed:_ Dolores Jane Umbridge, High Inquisitor

"This isn't a coincidence," growled Potter, his fists clenched.

"There is a traitor," agreed Kakashi, gaining looks from the other two boys.

Disgust flowed through Kakashi's veins; there was a special place in Jigoku for people like them.

* * *

By the end of the day, the trio were in a foul mood and Kakashi sat near them as they finished their respective homework. He could still hear Potter and Weasley complaining about the cancelled Quidditch practice and Kakashi tried in vain to stop rolling his eyes.

His stomach growled grumpily and Kakashi made a mental note to take stock of his rations. They were for emergencies but after seeing the water-like liquid he was not sure he could eat the academy's food again. He would have to watch even the water. Logically he knew he would have to eat from the table again but first he would try to find out all he could about this 'Veritaserum', to see if there was a way to counteract it.

Adding some shading to his bowtruckle sketch for Care of Magical Creatures, he sensed movement behind him but did not stop the hand that took the page from him.

"Wow, this is amazing, Kakashi. Mine is nowhere near as good," Finnegan exclaimed, holding the page.

"What is it?" Thomas asked from his chair.

"The Care of Magical Creatures homework, you know, the one where we have to draw the bowtruckles. Check out Kakashi's," Finnegan replied, showing off Kakashi's sketch to the common room. "It even beats yours, Dean."

Kakashi had thought it was average. He had had to copy far more difficult seals under Minato-sensei's teachings and half of those could have killed him with one wrong line. Honestly the sooner he never had to look at those twig creatures the better. Even now they still threw what they could at him.

"It's so cool, like it's in the parchment," Longbottom marvelled.

"Did you manage that just using the quill?" Thomas asked, staring intently at the page.

"Yes, Thomas-san."

Kakashi grabbed the paper from Finnegan and shoved it into his bag, taking out his potions book. Finnegan held both his hands up as he went back to his table.

"No way, man," Thomas grinned. "I know who to go to if I need any help with the banners."

Kakashi nodded and dropped his head to read the book, hoping the conversation would die. He sighed and glanced over as another wave of cheering reached him. The Weasley twins were forcing themselves to be sick repeatedly and despite it vanishing with a wave of Jordan's wand, the acid stench still managed to invade his nose.

He quickly finished off the 'Strengthening Potion' scroll for Snape and gazed over at the twins' demonstration for a long moment. He packed up his stationary and stood, crossing over to the huddle of students. Overhearing the price, he procured the amount he needed from the various students around him and stepped out in front, just in time for George to fill his bucket. The twins paused before their next round, staring at him curiously.

"I would like seven of those," he said, holding out the coins.

"Well, well, well," grinned Fred. "The exchange student would like to sample our Puking Pastilles. Fancy missing a few classes only two months into the school year?"

Kakashi tried to convey how unimpressed he was with his single eye.

"Here you go then," George interjected, handing over several wrappers and snagging the coins. He then turned to the muttering crowd of students.

"See that, folks? Even those from faraway lands want our products, so make sure to tell all your friends!"

Kakashi melted back into the crowd as the twins continued their sales pitch, returning to his table and storing the tablets. He had already come up with multiple scenarios where it could be useful over the course of this mission and if Konoha could figure out how it worked they could reproduce it. He could not tell if it was a modified poison yet but he would send five with the scrolls he produced the day before.

A couple of hours later, Kakashi had finished the potions book from the library and the common room had emptied, disgruntled muttering about missing money following the last group.

Kakashi looked towards the fire place as he heard Weasley startle from his chair. He caught a glimpse of Black's face before the fire was surrounded by the kneeling trio. He shut his bag and walked over to them, standing just close enough to see Black while listening out for eavesdroppers.

"How're things?" Black asked, his eyes darting over to Kakashi.

"Not good, Sirius," Potter responded. "The Ministry have banned all groups, including Quidditch and-"

"And secret training groups?"

Potter shut his mouth as Granger spoke up.

"How did you know?" she exclaimed.

"Choose your meeting places more carefully," Black smirked. "The Hog's Head wasn't a good choice."

"But the Three Broomsticks is always so crowded and-"

"A large crowd would have made it more difficult to overhear," interrupted Kakashi.

Four pairs of eyes latched onto him.

"Then why didn't you say anything?" asked Potter exasperatedly.

"Would you have listened?" Kakashi retorted.

The trio were silent for a moment before Hermione utter a small 'yes', gaining looks from the other two. Kakashi stared at her, shoving down his surprise. He had not thought any of them would take anything he had to say in consideration; to hear otherwise, he was not sure he wanted to consider the implication.

"Hatake was attacked while we were there," Potter spoke up, shooting him a look.

Kakashi held in a sigh. He had managed to avoid being alone with the trio for two days now and he hoped that they would just drop it.

Sirius nodded but he did not look surprised.

"I know and it's being handled."

"Wait, you know?" Granger burst out. "How?"

"We were told by Dumbledore but enough on that. Ron, I have a message from your mother..."

Kakashi tuned out as he sensed movement just outside the doorway. He silently slipped away from the conversation, moving to the exit and felt out for the presence he sensed. He had changed as soon as he reached the common room earlier into his 'casual' clothing so he had his weapons close to hand, and he slid a kunai into his hand as Ishihara's chakra moved past the door.

She had been more active lately, spending most of her time around Umbridge's office. On a hunch he had checked the seals he had found on his first patrol and they had disappeared. It was one less thing to monitor but now she was around the castle unseen almost as much as he was.

He turned sharply as he heard horrified gasps and he spotted Granger standing, staring into the fire. He moved closer and saw a grasping, stubby hand waving around where Black had been. His hand twitched slightly as he shoved down the urge to stab it and he turned to the trio, pocketing the kunai as he followed them to the dormitories.

He caught them just before they split to go to their separate stairways.

"We have to assume that all methods of communication have been compromised. Do not attempt to contact Snuffles-san and be careful with what you write in anything that will leave the academy."

The students looked disturbed and Kakashi cut off the inevitable protests as he herded the boys up the stairs, deaf to their indignation. He had not sent anything to Konoha since Umbridge had become High Inquisitor, sealing everything he had gathered into a storage scroll and keeping it in his bag. It seemed that Hokage-sama would be waiting a while for his next report.

* * *

After a riveting final lesson of attempting to silence a raven in Charms, Kakashi walked grudgingly to watch Quidditch practice. He was still of the opinion that the raven would be silent if it was dead, but he had kept his thoughts to himself considering that killing to solve problems was frowned upon here.

After darting to his room to change and grab a cloak, he _shunshined_ to his usual watching spot, thankful for the shelter it allowed him. As he watched the team trudge onto the field, looking as delighted to be there as he was, he wondered how long they would last. Hopefully not long.

Gazing at the brooms flying in the air, Kakashi once again pondered the point of it all. Why waste energy doing this when they could be honing themselves? He saw the tactical advantage that being proficient in flying would give, but it would only be to the select few who played. What about the rest of the school? Everyone in this academy was obsessed with this 'sport' but what skill or advantage did it give to those who just watched? The whole 'Quidditch' thing just seemed pointless to him.

Only an hour later, the Gryffindor team gave up and slogged their way back to the changing rooms. Kakashi's mouth quirked up slightly beneath his mask as he ran towards the academy entrance to wait for Potter and Weasley. As he entered the doorway, pushing down his hood and shaking his hair, he picked up on a presence beside him. Glancing to the side, he saw Malfoy staring at him.

Ever since the first time he had seen him, on the train coming to Hogwarts, the pale blond had kept popping up, usually to antagonise Potter. He wore the same colours as Ishihara and Kakashi had long learned that the red and green in this academy did not mix.

Kakashi has assessed the boy during his first week in Hogwarts, and while he was obnoxious and antagonistic, he would do no true harm to Potter.

"So you're the 'exchange student'," Malfoy sneered.

Kakashi just looked at him, his expression flat.

"You know you really have bad luck, having to hang around a house of morons and Mudbloods," Malfoy continued. "What's your family bloodline? I've never heard of Hatake."

Kakashi just remained silent, going to lean against the opposite wall to wait. He caught Malfoy's furious expression.

"You can't ignore me. Do you know who my father is-"

"No," Kakashi answered dryly.

"Wha-"

"No, I do not know who your father is."

Kakashi did in fact know who his father was. The image of a blond, slithery man was still in his head from Potter's hearing, but Malfoy did not have to know that.

Malfoy's face turned smug.

"He's high up in the Ministry. One word from me and you could be sent back to your country," Malfoy announced.

"So?"

Malfoy was shocked for a second before angry confusion took over.

"So I can send you back to Japan anytime I want."

"No, you cannot."

"Yes, I can. My father-"

"Your _father_ can send me back, you cannot," Kakashi said calmly.

Kakashi had seen this type before, usually the sons of wealthy merchants or nobility. Entitled, mistakenly thinking that their father's power was their own. Shinobi could not have this attitude as no matter how powerful the parents, the child would have to work and train to build their own power to survive the missions. It did not mean that children were unaffected by their parent's reputation though. Kakashi had spent most of his life trying to escape his father's shame, trying to build up his skills so people would look at him as Hatake Kakashi and not as the White Fang's son.

If it had not been for his team, he would most likely still be trying.

Malfoy stared wide-eyed before his blue eyes clouded in anger.

"My family is one of the oldest, wealthiest wizarding families left. My father is highly respected by the Ministry and I could-"

"You are your father's son but that is all you are," Kakashi interrupted. "You hold your father's name over people to bend them to your will, you believe yourself superior, but you are nothing without him. Once he dies, what will you have?"

Kakashi was not totally sure why he was still talking to the boy. From what he had seen over the last month and had overheard from Potter, Malfoy was a cruel, narcissistic bully who thought himself superior to everyone and ensured all knew it. Looking at the boy now, he could tell while others had fought against the bully, no one had really addressed why the boy acted this way.

"I'm a Malfoy; that will never change."

"But is that all you ever want to be?"

Malfoy was silent for a moment and Kakashi was surprised to see the boy was actually thinking over his words. It occurred to Kakashi that had it not been for Obito and the events at Kannabi, he would still be stuck in the arrogant, rigid mindset of his youth. Did Malfoy have someone to do that for him? Or would he have to go through something so horrifying it would wake him up to himself?

Malfoy stared at him critically before scoffing, turning to stalk down the corridor.

"What would you know?" Malfoy mumbled snidely, and Kakashi would not have heard it if not for his heightened senses.

He did not look back as he merged with Potter's group coming through the doorway, heading back to the tower.

* * *

Finally, the first day of training arrived and Kakashi watched slightly bewildered as Potter walked back and forth in front of a blank wall. Granted, that 'Dobby' creature had instructed him to but if there was anything behind that wall Kakashi would have found it long ago in his patrols of the castle. How could simply willing it make a door appear?

Kakashi's thought were split between this and the events from earlier. Potter's scar had flared up, hurting the boy. Even more concerning, the boy was able to relay the emotions and thoughts of the very man Kakashi had been hired to protect him from. It had happened before but Kakashi was still unsure of what to do about it. He could protect Potter from physical threats but mental? A Yamanaka would be better suited to deal with that.

Kakashi buried the urge to rub his temples. There were more and more pieces being added to this puzzle every day and Kakashi was sure solving it was the key to this mission. Look underneath the underneath, after all.

Kakashi's musings were cut short as he watched a wooden door appear in front of him. It had not been there a second ago. He strode forward, grabbing the brass handle before the trio; if they had to go into a room that that should not exist, then he would go first and assess the danger. He opened the door and stepped in, taking in the spacious room. Books lined three walls while the last was taken up by shelves filled with strange objects Kakashi would not have been able to guess the function if he tried. Large cushions were scattered all over the floor.

"Harry, this is amazing," Hermione gushed, a book already in her hands. "Everything we could possibly need is here!"

Kakashi did a circuit of the room, checking for anything 'off' but came up empty. He moved to stand beside the door as more began to arrive. It did not take long for the room to fill up and soon all the cushions were full.

The meeting began and Potter was elected the commander. They then decided the name of their group and Kakashi could not help the tiny snort that escaped him.

Dumbledore's 'Army'.

At the word 'army' Kakashi's mind produced memories of travelling for days on end, solider pills, the dead scattered on the ground as the living fought on above them. He remembered death around every tree and rock, explosion tags, poisoned supplies, names etched into the Memorial Stone every day. That was his life during the war, while he was a part of Konoha's 'army'. He was still a part of that force but his role switched from foot soldier to assassin in the peacetime.

He gazed at the excited students before him. They had no idea what it truly meant to be a soldier; but perhaps that is a good thing. He himself hoped the younger generation never had to go through what his did. If they did get over their heads, Kakashi would be here to pull them out, at least until June.

"Kakashi."

His head snapped up from the floor, having lowered without him noticing.

"You still with us?" Longbottom smiled.

Kakashi kept his body relaxed and face blank, giving a sharp nod. Thomas came and handed him a quill.

"You didn't sign up last time," he said as an explanation.

Kakashi took the quill and strode forward, coming to the parchment pinned to the wall. He wrote his name but left it in Japanese, giving the quill back to Thomas.

"We're pairing up for _Expelliarmus_ ," Thomas told him as he went to his partner.

Kakashi knew the spell and had figured out how to replicate the effects with chakra strings. However, he had no desire to waste his chakra to practice something he had mastered years ago. Especially with the theatrics he would need to do to cover the fact that the 'magic' would not be coming from his wand.

In the end, there were a perfectly even number of students and with Potter going around the room aiding students; Kakashi was left to his own devices. He settled back against his spot next to the door, observing the students. Were they just going to practice jutsu while they were here? Why not physical combat or even dodge training? He had hated those days Minato-sensei had spent throwing kunai at them, expecting them to dodge for hours, but he could not deny that it had been some of the best training he had ever received.

He thought back to the encounter with Avery; while the jutsu the man had been throwing at him could have caused serious damage, it was obsolete if they did not hit him. It was the same principle back in the Elemental Nations.

The session passed quickly but before Potter called for their attention, Kakashi tapped his shoulder.

"Potter-san."

"What do you want, Hatake?" Potter replied warily.

"Are you going to assign physical training? Perhaps laps to start?" Kakashi asked.

"Why would I?" Potter said, utterly confused.

"It would be beneficial," Kakashi explained. "All the jutsu in the world will not make a difference if it does not land."

"What do you mean?"

Kakashi sighed and pulled out his wand, turning to walk a short distance from Potter before facing him.

"Try to knock my wand away."

Potter expression cleared to determination and he pulled out his own wand. He held it in front and Kakashi rose to the balls of his feet, muscles tense, ready to move.

" _Expelliarmus_!" Potter called out, moving his wand.

Kakashi was moving at the first syllable, making sure to slow down to a civilian speed. He moved to the left and stood twirling his wand between his fingers, Potter staring at him.

"Do you understand?" Kakashi spoke up, pocketing the stick.

Potter looked thoughtful as he considered it.

"That was amazing!"

Kakashi's head snapped to the side to see some of the students staring at him with wide eyes. He had made sure to move at civilian speed though, why were they looking him like that? He had barely done anything.

Potter called for everyone's attention, taking the attention off Kakashi and he snuck back to his spot. The students decided on Wednesday in two weeks as their next meeting but before they began to file out, Potter added something else.

"And if everyone could run two laps of the castle before the next session, or even once a week? We need to work on our bodies as well as our spells."

He looked directly at Kakashi when he said this and Kakashi was surprised. He had suggested it but he did not think Potter would actually take it into consideration. Groans rose up from the group and complaints were mixed with reluctant agreements. Kakashi smirked beneath his mask. There was hope for them yet.

* * *

 ** _Katon: Houka Hira no Jutsu_** **Fire Release: Flaming Palm Technique**

 ** _Shibari_** **= Illusion Technique Binding**

 **This concludes the sixteenth chapter.**

 **Please could you review about what you like and what I can improve upon? Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated and I will always strive to improve your reading experience in any way I can.**

 **Arigatou gozaimasu**


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